Persian Rice - Tasty Thursday

I’ve been in Annapolis, doing boat show duty and soaking up the world that I can’t wait to be part of permanently. People who understand the boat thing, the sailing and cruising thing, the whole TIME thing . . . it’s a breath of fresh air.

I spent a couple of days on either end of the time there on board Excellent Adventure (check out Laureen’s blog here), an older Lagoon 47 catamaran with our friends Laureen and Jason and their kids. I love the fluid nature of our friendship, which is based on a lot of mutual interests and a lot of mutual admiration.

When Laureen said she was making Persian Rice, and I said I’d never had it, and I asked if I could film her . . . the answer was a fast yes.

Ahh. The joys of flexibility in filming, in cooking, in living aboard. In expanding the world to include anyone who wants to join in the fun.

Enjoy this one. I did, from start to finish.

Persian Rice (2-toned!)

• white rice

• butter

• turmeric (or saffron)

• salt

1. Parcook white rice to almost done (slightly crunchy) Remove rice from pot.

2. Melt a good knob of butter in the pot until sizzling.

3. Pour about 1/2 the rice into the pot, tamping down to make an evenly firm layer. Pour about 1/3 of the remaining rice on top and leave it fluffy.

4. Wrap the lid to the pot with a towel (to absorb the steam) and then cover the pot. Turn heat down to very low and cook until steam is just wisping out from the edges. Remove from heat and let sit.

5. Meanwhile, toss the remaining rice with a good knob of butter and about 1/2 tsp turmeric until butter is melted and the rice is yellow throughout.

6. Serve with a helping of the crunchy bottomed rice on the bottom of your plate, topped with a few spoonfuls of the yellow rice for presentation.

YUM!

Incredible thanks to Laureen and Jason, Rowan, Kestrel, and Aurora (and the ferrets) for an awesomely fabulous time on board. You are epic human beings and I appreciate your friendship incredibly.