THE MANY GUISES OF PILAF

                                            The many guises of Pilaf

           The home cooks’ thoughts inevitably go to ham or lamb for the upcoming Easter dinner.  Even with my unorthodox choice of smoked duck as a substitute this year, rice pilaf will be an excellent and tasty choice as a side dish to any of these.

          Considerable debate remains to this day about the origins of pilaf, whether it came from India or Middle East Muslim cooking. In either case, pilaf is a rice or wheat dish that includes vegetables, meats, nuts and fruit, and is cooked so that the grains do not adhere to each other. Today there are five broad schools of pilaf cooking: Central Asian, Iranian, Indian, Turkish and Caribbean.

          The texture of pilaf is of utmost importance. Unlike risottos and puddings that depend on their creamy texture, pilaf should retain the texture of the individual grains after cooking. Thus, before cooking, the rice is washed in several changes of water to remove surface starch of the grains that contribute to stickiness. Central Asian pilafs are heartier and contain meat, Caribbean pilafs often contain seafood. In contrast old Persian (modern Turkey) recipes favor a lighter aromatic approach by addition of fruit and nuts. My following recipe for rice pilaf fits into that tradition as a side dish to strong flavored meat.

                                      Safron rice pilaf with nuts and currants

          In a large bowl wash one and half cups of Basmati (or long grain rice) in 3 changes of water, drain in a sieve and set aside. Chop ½ large onion and dice 1 medium carrot. Lightly toast ½ cup pine nuts in a pan over medium heat and set aside.

          Melt 2 tblsp. butter in a 3 quart pot with a tight fitting lid and sauté the onion and carrot for 5 minutes on medium heat without allowing to brown. Stir in the washed rice to coat for 1 minute. Stir in 2 ¼ cups chicken broth, ¼ cup dried currants, 1 bay leaf, 2 thin strips of lemon peel and ½ tsp. saffron threads. Bring all to boil, turn heat to simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.  Stir in the toasted pine nuts and remove from heat. Cover until serving and stir in another tblsp. butter before serving in a bowl garnished with a bit of finely chopped Italian parsley. This reheats well in the microwave.

          Wheat grain pilaf is favored by many in India and elsewhere. Another interesting source for gluten free pilaf besides rice is roasted buckwheat groats, or kasha. Kasha mixed with ground beef is sometimes considered Ukrainian comfort food. Kasha also is highly favored in Russia and is the basis for a tasty Jewish dish called Varnishkas. The grain holds up well and has a slightly nutty flavor that blends well with vegetables in a pilaf.

                                                  Roasted kasha pilaf

          Prepare the following: ½ cup chopped onion, 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh mushrooms, 1 diced medium carrot, ½ cup seeded and diced red pepper, 6 sundried tomatoes cut in julienne strips, 2 chopped garlic cloves. Set 2 cups chicken broth to heat in a small pot.

          Melt 2 tblsp. butter in a 3-quart pot with a tight-fitting cover and sauté the chopped onion, mushrooms, carrot and diced pepper for 5 minutes and garlic for another minute. Add 1 cup roasted kasha and stir to coat all the grains for another minute. Add 2 cups heated chicken broth, ½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper, bring to boil then reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in ½ cup slivered almonds and 2 tblsp. chopped Italian parsley.  Serve as a luncheon dish with a green salad or a side dish with meat or fish. It keeps well for another meal reheated in the microwave.

          Pilaf cooking can become a treasure hunt for flavors to build with a variety of ingredients limited only by your imagination or ingredients at hand. Happy Easter and Passover or just enjoy pilaf and tempt your taste buds with new experiences.

    (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; and "Uncharted Journey from Riga". website: www.winicov-harrington.com)