Double lemon pilaf with brown-butter almonds
4
Easy
10 minutes, plus 20 minutes’ soaking time
30 minutes
"This simple pilaf uses lemon in the rice, which mellows a little as it cooks, then a shock of bright lemon juice to finish. I have kept the recipe simple, but I’ve suggested a few vegetables that I often add at the end as the seasons change. It’s great on its own, though, with some simple sautéed greens and yoghurt or next to a curry or tagine." – Anna Jones
Ingredients
Method
- 300 g basmati rice
- 75 g unsalted butter
- 100 g whole almonds, roughly sliced
- 2 onions or shallots, peeled and finely sliced
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon nigella seeds
- 2 unwaxed lemons
- ½ a bunch of coriander (15 g), leaves picked
- ½ a bunch of mint (15 g), leaves picked
Method
Ingredients
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan.
2. Wash 300g basmati rice well then soak in cold water for 20 minutes, or as long as you have.
3. To brown the butter and toast the almonds: heat a large, ideally heavy-based, lidded, ovenproof sauté pan over medium heat, then add 75g unsalted butter and 100g roughly sliced whole almonds. Once the butter has started to brown and the almonds look toasty, use a slotted spoon to scoop the nuts out, leaving most of the butter behind.
4. Add 2 peeled and finely sliced onions or shallots to the browned butter and cook for 5 minutes, until softened and beginning to brown. Add ½ teaspoon ground turmeric and cook for another minute.
5. Drain the rice well and add it to the sauté pan. Cook over a medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring all the time to seal the rice. Add 1 tablespoon nigella seeds, the zest and juice of 2 unwaxed lemons, 750ml boiling water or vegetable stock and a teaspoon of sea salt. Cover the pan and place in the preheated oven for 15–18 minutes, or until the rice is fluffy and all the water has been absorbed.
6. To finish the pilaf, top with the buttery almonds, 15g coriander leaves and 15g mint leaves.
Seasonal additions
Add the vegetables to the sauté pan with the rice and stir through before putting in the oven.
• Spring: Podded or frozen peas and asparagus (tips left whole, stems sliced) (add for the last 5 minutes of cooking).
• Summer: Green or runner beans, topped and tailed, runners sliced and a handful of cherry tomatoes.
• Autumn: Sautéed sliced leeks and sweetheart cabbage or greens, shredded (sauté the leeks and cabbage in butter or olive oil first).
• Winter: Shredded kale or cavolo nero and very thinly sliced or grated squash.
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