Mediterranean rice cooked in a savory stock packed with toasted spices, dried fruits, and nuts. This is a flavorful and textured rice dish that's hard to resist.
Rinse the rice. In a fine-sieved mesh strainer or colander, rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Drain and set aside.
Sauté the veggies. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the olive oil. Add the onion to the pan, season with salt, and sauté for 3 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 15 seconds or until fragrant.
Toast the spices. Stir the turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, and black pepper into the sauteed veggies and cook for a minute, stirring continuously.
Toast the rice. Add the rinsed rice to the pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously.
Deglaze the pan. Pour the white wine into the pan and let it cook for 30 seconds. Stir the stock into the rice, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Cook the rice. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan, and cook for 15 minutes or until the liquid is fully absorbed and the rice is tender.
Toast the almonds. While the rice is cooking, add the slivered almonds to a small skillet over medium heat. Let them cook, stirring frequently, until they turn golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Put it all together. Once the rice is done cooking, fluff it with a fork and fold in the currants, dried apricots, and toasted almonds. Serve.
White Long Grain Rice: Rinse the rice to prevent clumping and gumminess, and make sure to fluff the cooked rice to avoid clumping.
Brown Rice: When adapting a white rice recipe for brown rice, you'll primarily need to adjust the cooking time and the amount of liquid. Brown rice typically takes longer to cook and requires more liquid than white rice. You'll need to use about 4.5 to 5 cups of chicken broth and cook the brown rice for 40 to 45 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
White wine: You can skip the wine and use more broth/stock instead.
Spices: Play with spices and add what you prefer; I sometimes use paprika or saffron.
Add veggies like bell peppers or asparagus.
Fruits & Nuts: Instead of currants, you can also use raisins. Swap out the nuts, too, and try the rice with pine nuts.
Finish with fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro for added flavor.
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.