Shared by Claudia Roden
Shared by Claudia Roden
Spiced Saffron Rice with Nuts
Yield: 8 servingsTime: 35 minute, plus soaking time
Spiced Saffron Rice with Nuts
Yield: 8 servingsTime: 35 minute, plus soaking timeFamily Journey
Aleppo and IstanbulCairo
London
This dish evolved from a breast of lamb stuffed with rice and served with apricot sauce — a Passover staple at the childhood home of scholar and cookbook author Claudia Roden in Egypt. Over the years it became two separate dishes: a fall-off-the-bone lamb shoulder with apricot sauce, and this festive, spiced saffron rice topped with pistachios and almonds.
Read more about Claudia’s family in "Claudia Roden Has Carefully Preserved a Lost Jewish" and try her recipes for Egyptian charoset, braised fava beans and artichoke bottoms, and flourless chocolate cake.
Ingredients
- 2½ cups (1 pound) basmati rice
- ½ teaspoon saffron threads
- 4 cups (1 quart) unsalted chicken stock
- 12 green cardamom pods, cracked
- 6 whole cloves
- 3 tablespoons raisins
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons neutral oil
- ¼ cup blanched slivered almonds, toasted
- ¼ cup chopped roasted pistachios
Preparation
Step 1
Thoroughly rinse the rice and soak it in water for 30 minutes.
Step 2
In a small bowl, lightly crush the saffron threads between your fingers, add 2 tablespoons of warm water and let it sit for 10–15 minutes.
Step 3
In a pot over high heat, add the stock, cardamom pods, cloves, raisins, and cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil then lower the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 4
Add the bloomed saffron, salt, pepper, the drained rice and stir well. Over medium-high heat, let it come back to the boil, then cover, lower the heat to a minimum and cook for 10-12 minutes until little holes appear on the surface and the rice is tender. Allow the rice to rest, covered for 10 minutes, then fluff up with a fork and stir in the oil.
Step 5
Spoon the rice onto a serving platter or bowl and try to fish the whole spices out. Top with the almonds and pistachios and serve warm.
