Rice Pilaf with Golden Rasins and Pistachios
Though the previous two recipes were more Ashkenazi in origin, this one is more Sephardic, I figured that I could mix it up a bit because the thought of this recipe made me a little giddy. I don’t often use brown rice, I like it, but fluffy white rice has always had more appeal to me. This recipe for my Rosh Hashanah dinner called for white rice, but I decided to substitute brown rice because its nuttiness would work well with the sweetness of the raisins and the pistachios. The cooking process for brown rice is a little bit different, maybe not the process, but it does need more liquid and more time than white rice does.
I would certainly make this again, not that I wasn’t crazy about the meat tzimmes or the sweet carrot coins, but they don’t appeal to my everyday appetite. Odd considering the fact that my mother was born in the Netherlands and my father’s people were Swedish, but I can’t resist Mediterranean flavors, hence my love for Italy. Rice with raisins and pistachios fits right in with this, I would also continue to use brown rice for it, just measure out a bit more broth and try not to burn the bottom of the pan!
Rice Pilaf with Golden Raisins and Pisatchios from 1,000 Jewish Recipes by Fay Levy
- 2 or 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, minced
- 1 cup long-grain rice
- 2 cups hot chicken stock or water
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1 tsp finely grated orange rind
- ½ cup shelled toasted pistachios
Heat oil in a deep skillet or sauté pan, add onion, and cook over low heat about 5 minutes or until tender. Add rice and sauté over medium heat, stirring, about 2 minutes. Add hot stock, bay leaf, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir once. Cover and cook over low heat 10 minutes. Add raisins without stirring. Cover and cook about 8 minutes or until rice is just tender. Let stand off heat, covered, 1o minutes.
Fluff rice lightly with a fork. Using fork, lightly stir in orange rind. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve pilaf in a shallow bowl, garnished with pistachios.
Italicious 
Lovely work. I visited the Lincoln Park Farmer’s market with my R-M friend from Chicago. Opulent. Imay make this pilaf with chicken roulade for Alison and Lee’s dinner Friday night. We are celebrating her birthday and their first anniversary.