Need a Good, Basic, Rice Pilaf recipe.

[Le Taz Hot]

I've looked up dozens on the intertubes but none sound like just basic rice pilaf. One recipe calls for orange rind?????. I know it's basically rice, broken up pasta, and chicken stock but I don't know what else, the proportions nor the technique. I like making a Mediterranean meal a couple times a month and I always end up buying the packaged rice with the flavor packet in it. I'm kind of a stickler about making things from scratch so I can control the ingredients so I'd like to get away from the pre-packaged stuff if I can.

Anyone with a tried and true pilaf that wouldn't mind sharing?

Thanks,

LTH

[bif]

1. I learned it from my Mother-in-Law

Who's Greek. Melt some butter in a pan and throw in a handful of Rosmarina. Brown it and then add 1 cup Uncle Ben's rice. Let it brown slightly. In a small pot heat up 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth. When the rice is lightly browned, add a tablespoon of it to the chicken broth. You do this to avoid the broth boiling over. Then add the rest of the rice to the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. If it's still runny, cover and cook for another five minutes.

[Le Taz Hot]

2. Is Rosmarina the same as

Orzo? I looked it up and can't seem to find a definitive answer. If not, could you clarify? Other than that, this recipe looks perfect! Also, when you bring it to a simmer do you cover it the same as you to for traditional rice? Thanks for responding.

[bif]

3. Yep.

It goes by several names. When I asked my Mother-in-law how much to put in she said a "fookta" which is loosely translated as a handful. I love that word. Anyway, you're supposed to brown it first so the pilaf has a couple different colors. Good luck! Also in Greek it's just called Pilafi. Saying rice pilaf is like saying rice rice.

[bif]

4. And yes...

You cover it the same as traditional rice. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't boil over. Actually, she usually cooks it in a Corningware pot in the oven. But I prefer it stovetop.

[Le Taz Hot]

5. Thanks so much for your responses.

I'll be trying this out today. I'll let you know the outcome.

LTH

[Warpy]

6. Well, you don't need the broken up pasta

In fact, I find it downright distracting in the final dish.

What I use to stuff game hens is onion and celery, sauteed in butter, add slivered almonds, add a few golden raisins (they pack a punch, so you don't want many), add the rice, add chicken stock and cook until the stock is nearly evaporated and the rice is firm but edible. Then stuff the hens and bake. The baking process finishes the rice and the bird and the pilaf tend to flavor each other.

This is the most basic recipe there is and one I pulled right out of my butt at the last minute, which is why I use it even now.

I've done this simple pilaf as a side and I've done really elaborate ones that can be main dishes. It's like spaghetti sauce, there are as many recipes as there are cooks.

[Stinky The Clown]

7. Very basic here . . . .

. . . . put two pats of butter in a saucepan and start it on low to melt the butter. When melted, turn it up until it is hot and sizzling.

Add a cup of raw rice and toss/stir to coat each grain with butter. Get the rice hot. You will see it turn slightly translucent.

Add two cups of hot chicken broth. You can use canned or you can simply add water to the rice and stir in concentrated bullion (like Better than Bullion, or some such). Bring the liquid to a boil and then back it off to just at or slightly below a simmer. Cover and let it cook, untouched and NO PEEKING, for 17 minutes.

Alternatively, you can put it into a preheated 350 oven for the same time. The oven is actually the classic way as it will never scorch.

That's the basics. There are endless variations . . . whatever you can imagine.

You can tart the rice up any way you wish. Add slivered almonds to it. You can saute onions or mushrooms in the butter before adding the rice. Add cooked vegetables, cut small; you could use frozen Mixed Vegetables for this or you could use fresh that you cook yourself. Add small shrimp. Change the seasoning by using clam broth, add clams and whatever seasonings you'd use for clam sauce on macaroni; for us that is basil, oregano, parsley and garlic, salt and pepper. I can even imagine sweet/dessert variations on this theme

Anyway, try the basic first, unadorned. Then go as wild as you wish. This is a dish that is all about the method and less about the added ingredients.

Be sure to read what the wiki says about it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilaf

[Melissa G]

9. The chicken broth version of this is what I used.

I seem to remember adding the vegetables toward the end, so they steamed and floated up to the top. I did this in a restaurant that I worked in in big pots. You stirred the vegetables and almonds that had floated up to the top into the rice before serving. No pasta in this version.

Vermicelli (sopa de fideo) was a separate dish we made with a tomato broth and browned vermicelli.

[Le Taz Hot]

8. Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

I'm going to bookmark this thread so I can come back to it and try all the suggestions.

Thanks again.
LTH

[grasswire]

10. I make a bulgar wheat pilaf

Had it tonight, in fact. I toast the bulgar well in a bit of butter. Then add diced onion and celery and mushrooms. A good pinch of Italian herbs or just dried oregano. Then chicken broth. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed. It turns out separate grains, and nutty and delicious. I even like it cold.