Fragrant Saffron Pilaf
Make on Fresco
This really isn’t a salad, but it works as one...or as a great side dish to any meat or fish. Think charred fish or chicken with this...yum!
I have just returned from an amazing trip to Cobram Estate Boundary Bend olive grove and processing facility, and I am inspired. What a fabulous EVOO we have available in every store in Australia nearly! Award winning world wide, easy to source and a health food, that we should all be including in our diet every day. I was so lucky to be invited on this trip, and then at the end was gifted a beautiful bottle of the first harvest EVOO, (which is harder to source!!) Once opened you need to use it in about 3-4 weeks, and I have determined this will not be a problem. I have been channelling my inner Italian and been drizzling at will over everything! Olive juice, at it’s very fresh best!
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Need
- 400 Grams long grain rice
- 1 Teaspoon saffron threads
- boiling water to steep saffron
- 200 Grams blanched almonds
- 50 Grams pistachios, shelled
- 50 Grams cashews
- 100 Grams currants
- 100 Grams craisins
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 eschalots or shallots
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) as needed BUY
- pink salt flakes to taste BUY
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- Handfuls fresh coriander or cilantro leaves
- Handfuls fresh Italian parsley leaves
Do
- 1
Place rice into simmering basket and insert into Thermomix bowl. Pour 750g water over the top of the rice. Steam 14 min/100°C/speed 4.
- 2
Meanwhile soak the saffron threads in enough boiling water to just cover. Once the rice has finished cooking, pour the water and saffron on top of the steamed rice and stir through. It is not important for this to be even. It looks pretty if some of the rice picks up the colour, as opposed to all of it.
- 3
Douse the rice in plenty of EVOO. Set aside to cool.
- 4
Slow roast the almonds. Place them on a tray into an oven set to 160°C for approximately 20 minutes. They should be a dark golden brown, shiny and crunchy. Add the other nuts and cook for a further 10 minutes.
- 5
Place garlic, shallots and 20g EVOO into the Thermomix bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 6. Scrape down sides of bowl and saute 5 min/Varoma/speed 1/MC off,
- 6
Toss all the ingredients together, adding more oil as required. Garnish with plenty of additional fresh herbs. Serve warm or cold.
Tenina Holder is a wife, mother of five and grandmother of eight, who started cooking in the olden days before Thermomix was even a thing.
Tenina has become the premium go to source for all Thermomix expertise and of course fresh and easy recipes that work. Her cooking classes and foodie trips are sold out in literally hours, her cookbooks appear on the Australian best seller lists and her social reach is in the millions. Her Insider Club is the most fun you can have with a Thermomix and you really should join her! She believes chocolate, butter and salt are health foods. Her food positivity mantra is, eat everything, just not all at once!
