Classic Rice Pilaf Recipes

RICE PILAF

Steps:

• In a dutch oven or pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and mushrooms and cook until vegetables have softened and just started to turn brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
• Add rice, salt, and pepper and cook until rice starts to look slightly transparent, about 2-3 minutes.
• Stir in broth. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.
• Once boiling, add bay leaves, cover pot with a lid, and decrease heat to low.
• Let rice simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes.
• Once all liquid appears to have been absorbed, turn off heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.
• Discard bay leaves and fluff with a fork. Stir in parsley. Serve immediately.

RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Melt the butter in a 3-quart saucier over medium heat.
• Stir in the onion, bell pepper and 2 pinches of salt.
• Decrease the heat to low and sweat until the onion is translucent and aromatic but not browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and add the rice. Cook, stirring frequently, until you smell nuts, another 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the saffron and its water, the broth, orange zest, bay leaves and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Increase the heat and bring to a boil.
• OK, now the weird part: Thoroughly wet a clean towel, kill the heat, scatter the peas on top of the rice, then place the towel across the top of the saucier. Top with the lid, then fold the towel corners up over the lid.
• Transfer the saucier (towel and all) to the oven and bake 15 minutes.
• Remove and rest at room temperature for 15 more minutes without opening the lid.
• Fish out the orange zest and bay leaves. Turn the pilaf out onto a platter, fluff with a large fork and garnish with the raisins and pistachios. Serve family-style, right in the middle of the table.

CLASSIC RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Heat the butter and olive oil in heavy saucepot.
• Add the onion and bay leaf and saute until tender, but not brown.
• Add the rice and stir to coat completely. Do not allow the rice to brown.
• Pour in the boiling chicken stock and season with salt.
• Cover the pot and place it in a 350 degree oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is fluffy and tender.
• Transfer the cooked rice to a pain and fluff the rice with a fork. Remove the bay leaf and serve.

RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Combine broth, parsley and butter in a saucepan; bring to boil. Stir in rice; cover. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes.