Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

2 1/2 c Basmati rice (18 ounces) 1/4 ts Cinnamon
2 tb Salt (plus 1/4 teaspoon) 1/2 c Shelled unsalted pistachios
1/8 ts Saffron threads -(2 1/2 ounces)
1 sm Orange 1/2 c Golden raisins
6 tb Butter 2 tb Vegetable oil
1 ts Sugar

Put rice in medium bowl with water to cover. Drain and repeat
procedure 5 times. Return rice to the bowl and gently fill the bowl
with cold running water. Keep the water running gently into the bowl
until the liquid runs clear. Drain, return rice to the bowl with
water to cover, and let stand for at least 6 hours. (Can let stand
at room temperature overnight.)

Bring 4 quarts of water with 2 tablespoons salt to boil in a soup
kettle. Keep the water boiling while slowly adding the drained rice.
Simmer for 5 minutes; rinse with cold running water and drain
thoroughly. Remove 1 cup of rice and stir in the saffron threads; set
aside. Put the plain rice in a large bowl. Peel a 3- by 1-inch
strip of zest from the orange and cut into 1/8-inch dice. Bring 1
cup of water to boil in a small saucepan, add the zest, and simmer
for 2 minutes. Drain the zest and pat dry. Heat 1 tablespoon butter
in a small skillet and saute the zest for 15 seconds; add the sugar
and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in cinnamon, pistachios, raisins, and
1/4 teaspoon salt; saute, stirring continuously to coat with
butter-sugar mixture. Stir zest mixture into the plain rice.

Melt the remaining butter. Coat the bottom and sides of a heavy,
lidded, 3-quart saucepan (preferably cast iron) with 1 tablespoon of
the melted butter mixed with the oil. Heat the coated pan until hot.
Remove from the heat and spread half of the zested rice over the
bottom of the pan, pressing down well with a spoon. Cover with a
mound of the remaining zested rice. Sprinkle the saffron rice over
the top. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to make a hole in the
center of the rice deep enough to reach the bottom of the pan. Make
2 or 3 additional holes in the rice to allow steam to escape.
Drizzle rice with remaining 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Cook
rice for 6 minutes over low heat, uncovered. Wrap lid in a linen
towel, securing towel ends under or around lid handle. Cover the pot
with the towel-wrapped lid and steam over low heat for 40 to 60
minutes, until a crisp golden crust forms on the bottom of the rice.
Remove pan from heat and let stand for 10 minutes.

SERVING: Spoon soft, fluffy rice onto a platter. Break the bottom
crust into pieces and arrange around the fluffy rice. Serve
immediately

Makes 8 servings.

[COOKS; APRIL 1989] Posted by Fred Peters.

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