Jewelled rice

Prep time 20 minutes Cook time 40 minutes Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

● 600ml water ● sea salt ● a pinch of saffron fronds ● 450g basmati long-grain rice, rinsed and drained ● 2 tbsp each of dried barberries, dried sour cherries (or cranberries), currants, golden sultanas, raisins, granulated sugar, orange blossom water, freshly squeezed lemon juice, bitter orange peel, very finely sliced ● 2 tbsp samna, or olive oil with a knob of butter ● 120g blanched almonds, cut into slivers

● 120g unsalted pistachio kernels, cut into slivers ● 2 tbsp pine nuts ● 2 tbsp dried apricots, finely sliced ● icing sugar and rose petals METHOD

1 Boil a pan of water with a pinch of salt. Stir in the saffron and rice, and boil for 3–4 minutes, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover with a tea towel, put on the lid and leave to steam for 10 minutes.

2 Meanwhile, put the barberries, sour cherries, currants, sultanas and raisins into a bowl. Cover with boiling water and soak for 5 minutes, then drain and put aside.

3 In a small pan, stir the sugar with the orange blossom water and lemon juice until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, stir in the orange peel and simmer for 5 minutes. Put aside.

4 In a heavy-based pan, heat up the samna (or olive oil and butter) and stir in the nuts and apricots for 1–2 minutes. Add the soaked fruit to the pan carefully (the fruit might spit when it hits the oil) and cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes. Lift the orange peel out of the syrup and toss most of it through the rice.

5 Tip the rice on a serving dish. Scatter the rest of the orange peel and drizzle with the syrup. Garnish with icing sugar and rose petals to serve.