This recipe from Bon Appetit and Priya Singh is kind of a fancier version of the Yotam Ottolenghi side rice on this site.
3 c day-old leftover cooked basmati rice (from ~1 c dry rice)
Juice of 1 lime
1 t salt
1/2 c ghee, divided
1 T mustard seeds, yellow or black
10 fresh curry leaves
1 c roasted, unsalted peanuts
1 med onion, sliced thin
2 small Indian green chiles or serrano chiles, scored open (no need to stem)
2 T chopped cilantro leaves/stems, optional (as is everything, when it comes right down to it)
Squeeze the juice from the lime into the rice. Salt to taste; gently toss.
Heat 1/4 c ghee in a shallow medium pan over medium heat. You want the ghee to be hot and shimmery enough that a mustard seed will start popping and dancing within seconds; wait for that, and then add the mustard seeds. As soon as they are all dancing and popping remove the pan from heat, and add the curry leaves. Be careful! There may be a lot of sputtering and flying fat! Make sure the curry leaves get all coated with ghee. The leaves should crisp up.
Return the pan to medium-low heat and add the peanuts. Cook, stirring, until the peanuts are fragrant and a medium shade of brown (5-8 minutes). Pour peanut mixture over rice mixture; toss gently.
Heat remaining 1/4 c ghee in same pan over medium. Once ghee is hot, add onions and chiles, spreading in an even layer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is lightly caramelized. (I went quite a bit further than the recommended 5-7 minutes). Stir onion mix into rice. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and lime juice, if you like. Garnish with cilantro if you like.
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
Saturday, June 8, 2019
Posset
Has there ever been a recipe more exactly calibrated to yours truly, Reb, eater of worlds? The food category I find the most comforting of all is puddings (in the American sense of the word). I'd rather have a good pudding than ice cream. And I'm a lemon-above-chocolate person, which is praise indeed considering my appetite for chocolate. The only problem with pudding-category foods is that they can sometimes be too eggy-- I'm not a fan of the obvious flavor of eggs in desserts. (I appreciate what they provide structurally, texturally, etc.) I'm also something of a food history hobbyist, so I've been meaning to make posset for a while, and Melissa Clark publishing a recipe for it in the NYTimes spurred me on.
I am delighted to report that I love it, and that the most pleasing thing about it (besides it being a joy to eat) is its utter elegance of ratios and exaltation of simple chemistry. 1 c heavy cream, a lemon, and 1/3 c sugar. That's it. Melissa Clark's recipe is for a pint of cream, but I assume that with the right little pot it could be successfully downsized to a single lemon and a single cup (or with the right larger pot, upsized). Do take care to use a big enough pot that you needn't stress about anything boiling over.
2 c heavy cream
2/3 c granulated sugar
2 t finely grated lemon zest (I say just zest 2 lemons, but without being persnickity about it at all)
salt
1/3 c fresh lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)-- I say just juice 2 really nicely juicy lemons
In a medium saucepan, combine cream, sugar, lemon zest, and salt over medium high heat. Bring to simmer, stirring frequently to dissolve sugar. Simmer vigorously until mixture thickens slightly and reduces to 2 c, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. ***I actually put in the lemon juice from the beginning-- even simpler!-- and I am happy to report that it worked just fine.*** Let sit until mixture has cooled slightly and a skin forms on top, about 20 minutes. Stir, and strain, if you'd like. Pour mixture into 6 ramekins. Refrigerate, uncovered, until set, at least 3 hours. (Many NYTimes readers commented that they only got "4 small portions," not 6. I think you should use as tiny of aliquots as you can. First off, it will help it set better. Second, this is eating sugared pure heavy cream. I do not make moderation advice based off of health concerns, but off of culinary concerns; a few small spoonfuls really IS enough for a serving, and will act as lip balm besides with all that butterfat.)
In conclusion, I will note, rather unappetizingly, that I once won a baby shower game because I knew that 'posset' is also a Britishism for baby spit-up. Biochemically, it makes sense. But don't let that put you off your lemon posset. It really is delicious, and not at all curdley... in that way.
I am delighted to report that I love it, and that the most pleasing thing about it (besides it being a joy to eat) is its utter elegance of ratios and exaltation of simple chemistry. 1 c heavy cream, a lemon, and 1/3 c sugar. That's it. Melissa Clark's recipe is for a pint of cream, but I assume that with the right little pot it could be successfully downsized to a single lemon and a single cup (or with the right larger pot, upsized). Do take care to use a big enough pot that you needn't stress about anything boiling over.
2 c heavy cream
2/3 c granulated sugar
2 t finely grated lemon zest (I say just zest 2 lemons, but without being persnickity about it at all)
salt
1/3 c fresh lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)-- I say just juice 2 really nicely juicy lemons
In a medium saucepan, combine cream, sugar, lemon zest, and salt over medium high heat. Bring to simmer, stirring frequently to dissolve sugar. Simmer vigorously until mixture thickens slightly and reduces to 2 c, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. ***I actually put in the lemon juice from the beginning-- even simpler!-- and I am happy to report that it worked just fine.*** Let sit until mixture has cooled slightly and a skin forms on top, about 20 minutes. Stir, and strain, if you'd like. Pour mixture into 6 ramekins. Refrigerate, uncovered, until set, at least 3 hours. (Many NYTimes readers commented that they only got "4 small portions," not 6. I think you should use as tiny of aliquots as you can. First off, it will help it set better. Second, this is eating sugared pure heavy cream. I do not make moderation advice based off of health concerns, but off of culinary concerns; a few small spoonfuls really IS enough for a serving, and will act as lip balm besides with all that butterfat.)
In conclusion, I will note, rather unappetizingly, that I once won a baby shower game because I knew that 'posset' is also a Britishism for baby spit-up. Biochemically, it makes sense. But don't let that put you off your lemon posset. It really is delicious, and not at all curdley... in that way.
Meatless Tachin
Youtube is a catacombs with endless corners, some inky, some dim, some reasonably well-lit. How does anybody find a particular alley that seems to hold "their people"? And yet, people do find Bon Appetit's channel, and it's pretty great.
This is Andy Baraghani's "Crunchy Baked Saffron Rice," (https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/crunchy-baked-saffron-rice-with-barberries) and I had everything except barberries on hand so I decided to go for it. It was very easy and very delicious and turned out looking just like Andy's. But! As a commenter on the Bon Appetit website noted, it was too much filling for a normal, shallow-ish pie plate. In fact, I filled two as full as I had any desire to. Little bits of rice stuck to the foil, so really-- this made two full cakes.
I browned the butter with dried tart cherries and rose water, and used it all for just one of my cakes (so I guess it got twice as much butter!). For my second cake, I browned a new 2 T butter, chopped up some dried apricots and pistachios, and used a splash of orange blossom water. I liked both alright, but in both cases the fruit got in the way of what I REALLY loved-- the saffron rice. I think I'd like to try it with barberries (which I've had before in rice dishes, and quite liked), but I won't make it with cherries or apricots again. Maybe the pistachios or slivered almonds, though-- and yes to all that browned butter, and yes to the rose water. (Which smells a treat splashed in brown butter.)
*the recipe calls for kosher salt, but I used table salt. YES I KNOW that using table salt in the same volumes as kosher salt results in a higher mass of salt, but I did it in anyway because I like salt, and sure, yeah, maybe it's on the edge of too salty for me, so maybe cut the quantities a bit if you're using table salt.
2 c basmati rice
2 T butter
1/2 c dried barberries, including or plus slivered almonds or pistachios
1 t rose water (optional)
1 t saffron threads, ground to a fine powder in a mortar and pestle with 2t (kosher) salt; bloomed with 2 T hot water for 10 minutes
3 large egg yolks
1 c plain whole milk yogurt (not Greek)
1/2 c vegetable oil, plus more to grease dish(es)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1/2 c (kosher) salt. While you are waiting for the water to boil, place rice in a strainer and rinse, swishing rice around, until water runs clear. Add rice to boiling water and stir it a bit so it doesn't stick. Cook until rice begins to rise to the top and is tender but still has a bite to it, 6-8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Meanwhile, brown butter gently in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Cook barberries, stirring often, until plumped slightly and warmed through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in rose water. **If you're like me, you'll do this step twice for 2 pie platesworth.**
Place rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 400 F. Combine saffron/salt/water slurry, egg yolks, yogurt, and oil. Scatter rice over this mix and gently fold to ensure every grain is coated. Be gentle-- you don't want to break the grains.
Coat a glass pie plate with oil. (You, like me, might fill two). Add some rice mixture and use the palms of your hands to gently pack and compact it into the dish. Scatter half of the fruit/butter over it; add more rice mix. Press down again, this time more firmly (this helps with unmolding, we are told).
Cover dish TIGHTLY with foil and bake on the low rack until rice on the bottom and around edges is a deep golden brown, 65-80 minutes. (My oven runs cold, I think, and I used the whole 80 minutes). Remove foil and cool on a rack 10 minutes. Loosen the rice around the edges using the point of a knife. (Mine didn't stick at all). Place a large plate on top and invert rice onto the plate like a cake. Scatter remaining barberries over top.
This is Andy Baraghani's "Crunchy Baked Saffron Rice," (https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/crunchy-baked-saffron-rice-with-barberries) and I had everything except barberries on hand so I decided to go for it. It was very easy and very delicious and turned out looking just like Andy's. But! As a commenter on the Bon Appetit website noted, it was too much filling for a normal, shallow-ish pie plate. In fact, I filled two as full as I had any desire to. Little bits of rice stuck to the foil, so really-- this made two full cakes.
I browned the butter with dried tart cherries and rose water, and used it all for just one of my cakes (so I guess it got twice as much butter!). For my second cake, I browned a new 2 T butter, chopped up some dried apricots and pistachios, and used a splash of orange blossom water. I liked both alright, but in both cases the fruit got in the way of what I REALLY loved-- the saffron rice. I think I'd like to try it with barberries (which I've had before in rice dishes, and quite liked), but I won't make it with cherries or apricots again. Maybe the pistachios or slivered almonds, though-- and yes to all that browned butter, and yes to the rose water. (Which smells a treat splashed in brown butter.)
*the recipe calls for kosher salt, but I used table salt. YES I KNOW that using table salt in the same volumes as kosher salt results in a higher mass of salt, but I did it in anyway because I like salt, and sure, yeah, maybe it's on the edge of too salty for me, so maybe cut the quantities a bit if you're using table salt.
2 c basmati rice
2 T butter
1/2 c dried barberries, including or plus slivered almonds or pistachios
1 t rose water (optional)
1 t saffron threads, ground to a fine powder in a mortar and pestle with 2t (kosher) salt; bloomed with 2 T hot water for 10 minutes
3 large egg yolks
1 c plain whole milk yogurt (not Greek)
1/2 c vegetable oil, plus more to grease dish(es)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1/2 c (kosher) salt. While you are waiting for the water to boil, place rice in a strainer and rinse, swishing rice around, until water runs clear. Add rice to boiling water and stir it a bit so it doesn't stick. Cook until rice begins to rise to the top and is tender but still has a bite to it, 6-8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Meanwhile, brown butter gently in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Cook barberries, stirring often, until plumped slightly and warmed through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in rose water. **If you're like me, you'll do this step twice for 2 pie platesworth.**
Place rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 400 F. Combine saffron/salt/water slurry, egg yolks, yogurt, and oil. Scatter rice over this mix and gently fold to ensure every grain is coated. Be gentle-- you don't want to break the grains.
Coat a glass pie plate with oil. (You, like me, might fill two). Add some rice mixture and use the palms of your hands to gently pack and compact it into the dish. Scatter half of the fruit/butter over it; add more rice mix. Press down again, this time more firmly (this helps with unmolding, we are told).
Cover dish TIGHTLY with foil and bake on the low rack until rice on the bottom and around edges is a deep golden brown, 65-80 minutes. (My oven runs cold, I think, and I used the whole 80 minutes). Remove foil and cool on a rack 10 minutes. Loosen the rice around the edges using the point of a knife. (Mine didn't stick at all). Place a large plate on top and invert rice onto the plate like a cake. Scatter remaining barberries over top.
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