Recipe - Jeweled Rice

2 One half cup (500 grams) basmati or other
fragrant long grain rice
1 teaspoon Salt
Finely pared peel "zest" of
2 large oranges, shredded
or julienned
One half cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (5075 g) dried pitted sour
cherries (up to 1/2)
1/3 cup Dried barberries or
cranberries (up to 1/2)
5 tablespoon Sunflower oil (up to 6)
One fourth teaspoon Saffron (I don't have)
1 cup (100g) split blanched
almonds or mixed almonds
and pistachios
2 Jullienned dried apricots
(up to 3)

This recipe is adapted (less salt) from "The Book of Jewish Food",
somewhere I have a similar recipe from Sunset Magazine, will look for you.

Wash the rice, then soak in cold water for 1 hour.

Make candied peel by boiling peel in small pan in generous amount of water
for 30 min. to remove bitterness. Drain, return to pan with 1/3 cup(80 ml)
water, and sugar and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Soak the sour cherries and cranberries in water to cover for about 20 min.

Bring 9 cups (2 liters) of water to boil (salted to taste), in a large
saucepan. Pour the drained rice slowly into boiling water, let come to boil
again, and cook rapidly at boil for 8 minutes (still a bit firm) Drain the
rice well.

Pour oil into bottom of the (washed) rice pan. Stirr in saffron, add the
rice, drained peel, drained dry fruit, nuts, and stir very well. Saffron
color and oil should be distributed evenly (I use a few drops or yellow
color and a touch of turmeric).

Put the lid on tightly, steam on lowest heat for 20 minutes or until
tender. (I usemy electric rice cooker for this last part!) Alternate method
is to bake in tightly covered casserole at 350 deg. f (150 deg C) for 30
minutes.

I believe this is traditionally topped with roast chicken. Tonight, will
garnish the platter with kumquats fresh from my tree.

Posted to JEWISHFOOD digest V97 #040 by MGB/PhatWolf
DonutDolly@themall.net on Feb 05, 1997.