Rice Pilaf - Alton Brown

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, minced
• 2 pinches kosher salt
• 2 cups long grain rice
• 2 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 2 slices orange zest, 1-inch wide by 3-inch long
• 1 pinch saffron, steeped in 1/4 c hot water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup golden raisin
• 1/4 cup chopped pistachios

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°f.
• 2 in a heavy, wide pan with a tight-fitting lid, melt butter over medium-low heat. add onion, red pepper and salt. sweat until aromatic, stirring constantly.
• 3 add rice and stir to coat. continue stirring until rice smells nutty.
• 4 add chicken broth, orange zest, saffron and bay leaf. bring to a boil. stir once, then cover pan with damp dish towel or tea towel. place lid on pan and fold corners of towel up over lid.
• 5 place pan in hot oven. bake 15 min, then rest at room temperature 15-20 min without moving lid.
• 6 meanwhile, simmer peas in salted water, or microwave them, until heated through.
• 7 remove lid from pan, and turn rice out onto a platter. stir in peas, and fluff with a large fork. sprinkle with raisins and pistachios.