Pilaf

Pilaf is rice cooked in a seasoned liquid after the grains are first fried in fat. The result is fluffy rice with separate grains and more flavor than plain boiled rice. Versions are cooked from Turkey and Iran to Central Asia and India, where it is called pulao, and the method is also standard in French and American cooking.

How to do it

1. Rinse 200 g (1 cup) of long-grain rice, such as basmati, until the water runs clear. Drain well.
2. Melt butter or oil in a heavy pot with a tight lid. Sweat a chopped onion until soft.
3. Add the rice and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, until the grains look chalky at the edges and smell nutty.
4. Add hot stock, about 375 to 400 ml (1½ to 1⅔ cups) for basmati. Add salt and whole spices or a bouquet garni.
5. Bring to a boil, cover, and turn the heat to very low. Cook for 15 to 18 minutes without lifting the lid.
6. Take it off the heat and rest it, still covered, for 10 minutes.
7. Fluff with a fork.

Why it works

Frying the rice coats each grain in fat and partly sets the starch on its surface. Rinsing removes loose starch first. Both keep the grains from sticking together. Cooking covered on low heat lets the rice absorb all the liquid evenly, and the rest finishes the steaming.

Common mistakes

• Stirring while it cooks. It breaks the grains and makes them sticky.
• Lifting the lid. Steam escapes and the rice cooks unevenly.
• Too much liquid. The rice turns soft and clumpy.
• Skipping the rest. The top grains stay damp.

In recipes

A recipe that says "pilaf" or "pilaf method" means fry the rice in fat first, then add a measured amount of liquid and cook covered. This is the opposite of risotto, where you stir and add liquid bit by bit to make it creamy. Paella is in between: not stirred, but cooked open in a wide pan. Pilaf can also include vegetables, nuts, dried fruit, meat, or noodles, and can be made with bulgur or other grains.