Persian Rice
This Persian rice takes the grand prize. I believe I've posted a few foolproof methods for cooking perfect rice, but this recipe is not even close to second. The beauty of this method is that it doesn't rely on any specific measurements or exact times. This will make some of you very nervous but just go with it.
Ingredients
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3 quarts water
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3 tablespoons kosher salt
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2 cups basmati rice, rinsed
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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1 russet potato, cut into 1/4-inch slices
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1 pinch ground cumin
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salt to taste
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3 tablespoons butter, cut into thin slices, or to taste
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1 pinch saffron threads
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1 ½ tablespoons hot water
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1 tablespoon chopped parsley, or to taste
Instructions
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Place water and kosher salt in a pot; bring to a boil. Add rice; cook and stir for exactly 7 minutes. Drain.
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Heat olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Cover the bottom of the pot with 1 layer of potato slices. Sprinkle cumin and salt over potatoes. Cook until potatoes are sizzling, 2 to 3 minutes; top potatoes with rice to form an even layer. Reduce heat to low and place butter slices over rice.
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Top the pot with a layer of clean paper towels, then place the lid over the towels. Steam until rice is fluffy, about 45 minutes.
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Grind saffron threads with a mortar and pestle. Mix crushed saffron with 1 1/2 tablespoons hot water in a large bowl. Add a couple of spoonfuls of rice to saffron mixture and stir until rice is yellow.
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Spoon remaining rice into a serving bowl. Top with saffron rice and line the edges of the bowl with potatoes. Garnish with parsley.
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