Mark Bittman's Rice Pilaf

DEPENDING ON WHAT FLAVORS EXCITE your palate, and what's in season, this dish, from flavor-swap maestro Mark Bittman, has infinite variations. To keep with the Mediterranean diet, use olive oil instead of butter. You can use any sort of rice for this recipe; long-grain is less likely to get mushy. For extra fiber, use brown rice, but it’ll need to be precooked for 10 to 15 minutes.

2 to 4 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 ½ cups rice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth (canned or homemade)
Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

1. Put 2 tablespoons of the butter or oil in a large deep skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted or the oil is hot, add the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the rice all at once, turn the heat down to medium, and stir until the rice is glossy, completely coated with butter or oil, and starting to color lightly, about 5 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper, turn the heat down to low, and add the stock all at once. Stir once or twice, and cover the pan.

3. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to absolute minimum (if you have electric stove, turn the heat off and let the pan sit on the burner), and let rest for another 15 to 30 minutes. Add the remaining butter or oil if you like and fluff with a fork. Taste and adjust the seasoning, fluff again. Garnish and serve.

Some Flavor Suggestions. Stir in any of the following, alone or in combination, just after adding the rice.

• 1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh strong herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, or sage; or up to 1 cup chopped fresh mild herbs (best stirred in just before serving the pilaf), like parsley, basil, mint, dill, or chervil

• Up to 1 cup cooked and crumbled bacon, sausage, or chopped ham; or up to ½ cup other chopped Italian cold cuts, like prosciutto, capicola (coppa), salami, or bresaola
• ½ cup or so white or red wine (let it boil a bit before adding the stock)
• ½ cup chopped toasted nuts like almonds, pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, cashews, pistachios, peanuts, or hazelnuts

• 1 tablespoon or so minced or grated lemon, lime, or orange zest
• 1 tablespoon cumin, coriander, mustard, or fennel seeds; or 1 tablespoon ground spice mixture like curry powder, garam masala, five spice, or any others

From How to Cook Everything, Tenth Anniversary Edition, by Mark Bittman. Wiley, 2008.