Oregon Home | 61 Courtesy of: The Momtazi Family, Maysara Winery Wine Pairing: Arsheen Pinot Gris Serves 4 to 6 This dish requires a little planning to do it right, but it’s worth the effort for the crispy crust (tahdig) that forms at the bottom of the pot during cooking. Paired with fresh fish simply seared until golden and flaky, it’s a lovely dish to pair with Maysara’s bright and lightly grassy Pinot Gris. Herbed Rice Ingredients: • 2 cups basmati rice • 3 Tbsp plus 1 tsp salt (divided), plus extra to taste • 3 cloves garlic • 2 scallions, roughly chopped • 1 cup dill • 1 cup cilantro • 1 cup Italian parsley • 1/2 tsp saffron • 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut into 4 cubes (divided) Method: Place rice in a bowl, cover with water, and stir in 1 tablespoon salt. Allow to soak in a cool location for 1 to 2 hours. Rinse the rice under cold water. In a food processor, combine the garlic, scallions, dill, cilantro, parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse until finely chopped. Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice and the remaining 2 tablespoons salt. Bring back to a boil and cook, uncovered, for 3 minutes, until rice is al dente. (Break a grain in half; it should be hard in the center and soft on the outside.) Drain, then rinse rice with cold water to stop the cooking. In a large bowl, mix a scoop of rice and a scoop of the herb mixture, taking care so the rice does not break. Repeat until all the rice and herbs are mixed in the bowl. Grind or crush the saffron and mix with 1/4 cup of hot water in a small bowl. Heat oil in the saucepan over medium-low heat for several minutes until hot. Spread 2 cups of herbed rice evenly across the bottom of the pot. Drizzle with half of the saffron water and season with a pinch of salt. Press down on the rice to create a packed layer. (This creates the crispy tahdig.) Mound the remaining rice on top. Insert the handle of a wooden spoon into the rice to make a few holes for steam to escape. Arrange 2 tablespoons cubed butter on top of the rice. Cover, increase heat to medium-high, and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to very low and wrap the lid in a clean dish towel to absorb condensation (see Note). Cook for 45 minutes. Excerpted from Oregon Wine + Food: The Cookbook by Danielle Centoni and Kerry Newberry. Photography by John Valls. Copyright © 2023 by Danielle Centoni and Kerry Newberry. Recipe copyright © 2023 by Maysara Winery. Excerpted with permission from Figure 1 Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Persian Herbed Rice with Fish (Sabzi Polo ba Mahi) Remove from heat. Arrange remaining 2 tablespoons cubed butter on top of the cooked rice. Drizzle with the remaining saffron water. Lightly fluff the top layer of the rice. Cover the pan and set aside for 5 minutes. Uncover pan. Place a large serving dish over the pan and, holding both tightly against each other, carefully invert the pan over the dish. The rice should have a golden, crunchy crust on top. Note: If your burners can’t go very low, place a metal heat diffuser or upside-down metal pie tin on the burner to avoid hotspots. Iranians use a cloth lid cover called a damkesh when making rice, but you can also wrap the lid like a bundle in a large flour-sackstyle dish towel, tying the ends up near the knob. Just be sure the fabric is secure and won’t hang over the sides near the burner. Fish Ingredients: • 5 to 6 salmon or steelhead fillets • Salt and black pepper • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil • 3 lemons or 2 sour oranges (or a combination), cut into wedges Method: Season the fish with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, then place fish in the pan. Cover with a splatter screen, if necessary. Cook for 4 minutes, or until the bottom is golden and fish is opaque halfway up the sides. Turn and repeat on the other side until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily. Serve fish alongside the herbed rice and lemon (and/or sour orange) wedges.
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