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.