JEWELLED TAHDIG (Serves 4-6)
INGREDIENTS: 300ml verjuice; 100g caster sugar; 80g currants; 60g barberries; 80g pumpkin seeds; 40g pistachios; 2tbsp olive oil; 1tbsp flaked sea salt; 360g basmati rice; 1 bay leaf; 1tbsp fennel seeds; 75g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing; 1½tbsp natural yoghurt; 20g rice flour, mixed with cold water to form a slurry paste; 2 egg yolks
METHOD: 1.
Boil the verjuice and sugar. Add the currants and barberries, then set aside, allowing the fruit to soak in the juices for 30 minutes – they will soften and plump up. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat the oven to 160°C/ 140°C Fan/Gas Mark 3. Roll the pumpkin seeds and pistachios in the olive oil and season with salt. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden and crunchy. Set aside to cool.
3. Rinse the rice in a bowl of cold water, swirling with your fingers to release the starch. Repeat two or three times until the water runs clear. Drain and set aside.
4. Put the bay leaf and fennel seeds in a knotted muslin cloth to make a bouquet garni. Half fill a 20cm pan with water and bring the bouquet garni to the boil. Add the rice, stir several times, bring back to the boil and cook on medium-high for five minutes until the rice is slightly softened but still firm. Drain and run under cold water briefly to stop it cooking further, then leave to stand in the colander for a few minutes. Transfer to a baking tray, spread out to a thin layer and set aside until completely cooled.
4. Butter a lidded frying pan. Take a third of the par-cooked rice and place in a bowl with the yoghurt, a third of the melted butter and the rice flour slurry. Stir to combine. Spread this evenly in a thin layer on the bottom of the prepared frying pan. This will form the tahdig. Layer the remaining par-cooked rice on
top intermittently with three-quarters of the currants, barberries, pumpkin seeds and pistachios, working your way up in layers to make a mound shape.
Do not pack the rice down. It should be layered lightly to leave space for expansion. Wrap the lid of the pan tightly with a clean tea towel and place on top so it fits snugly. Place the pan on a medium-low heat for 12-15 minutes. Towards the end of cooking, drizzle the rest of the butter around the edges.
6. Just before serving, make a well in the top of the rice and add the egg yolks. Cover with the rice and, using a plate where the lid once was, invert the rice carefully on to a plate. Serve immediately with the rest of the pistachios, pumpkin seeds, raisins and barberries scattered over the top.