Best Saffron Rice With Currants Recipes

SAFFRON RICE WITH CURRANTS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, over medium-high heat, combine broth, rice, salt, and saffron.
• Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in currants. Cover and let stand 5 to 7 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with fork to distribute saffron and currants. Serve hot.

SAFFRON RICE

Steps:

• Rinse the rice under cool water until the water runs clear. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan, and add the salt. Add the rice to the boiling water, and continue to boil, uncovered, for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain well, and return the rice to the pot. Add the butter and 3 tablespoons of water, cover tightly, and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pound the saffron threads to a powder using a mortar and pestle. Add 2 teaspoons hot water and stir to combine. Remove 1/3 cup of the rice from the pan and put it in a small bowl. Add the saffron water to the rice and stir until the rice is stained yellow. (Or if your mortar is large enough, add the rice directly to the saffron water in the mortar.) There shouldn't be any excess liquid. If there is, pour off the liquid. Return the rice to the pan, and stir gently to fluff and combine the white and golden grains of rice.
• notes
• Alternatively, add the pounded saffron to the pot along with the butter, rather than making a saffron-infused water. This way, the rice will be evenly yellow, as opposed to a mixture of white and golden grains of rice.
• Add 1/3 cup golden raisins or currants to the rice along with the butter, and stir in 1/3 cup chopped toasted almonds or toasted pine nuts just before serving.

SAFFRON RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Soften saffron in hot water (2 tablespoons) in a small bowl.
• Heat oil in a 5-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Fry almonds, stirring frequently, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
• Fry onion in oil remaining in pot, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer half of onion to a bowl.
• Add rice to onion in pot and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add water (4 1/2 cups), saffron mixture, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until water is absorbed and rice is tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Let rice stand, covered, off heat 5 minutes.
• While rice stands, stir almonds and currants into bowl with onion.
• Fluff rice with a fork and serve with almond mixture spooned on top.

MINTED SAFFRON RICE WITH CURRANTS AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• In a large heavy saucepan heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook cuminseed, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf, stirring, until mixture is fragrant and cuminseed is several shades darker (be careful not to burn it).
• Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened. Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add water, currants, saffron, and salt and bring to a boil, covered. Reduce heat to very low and simmer rice, covered, 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.
• Let rice stand 5 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick and bay leaf and stir in pine nuts and mint.

JEWELED SAFFRON RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Bring a large nonstick saucepot of water to a boil and generously salt. Transfer ½ cup boiling water to a bowl and stir in the saffron; reserve. Add the rice to a boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Drain well. Melt the butter in the same pot over medium-low heat and stir in the coriander and cumin. Reduce the heat to low and spread one-third of the rice evenly across the bottom. Sprinkle with one-third of the saffron mixture and half of the cranberries and currants. Spoon half of the remaining rice over the dried fruit and sprinkle with half of the remaining saffron mixture and the remaining dried fruit. Top with the remaining rice and saffron mixture. Poke 5 holes in the rice with the handle of a wooden spoon. Wrap a clean kitchen towel around the pot lid, cover the rice, and steam for 35 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Spoon the rice, including its crunchy golden bottom layer, onto a serving platter and top with the almonds and pistachios.

SAFFRON RICE WITH CURRANTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the top part of a double boiler placed directly on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring, until onion is wilted. Add rice and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Add all remaining ingredients except the remaining butter and bring to a boil.
• Cover and place in the oven. Cook exactly 20 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Fluff the rice with a fork and stir in the remaining butter. Cover.
• Assemble the double boiler; that is, place the pot containing the rice over simmering water in the bottom half of the double boiler and let stand until ready to serve.