Currant Lemon Pilaf Recipes

CURRANT-LEMON PILAF

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add rice; stir to coat with butter mixture, about 1 minute. Mix in broth, water, lemon juice, lemon peel and currants. Bring mixture to boil, stirring occasionally. Cover pan, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until liquids are absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in almonds and serve.

LEMON PECAN PILAF

Steps:

• In a saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Stir in rice; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is tender. Meanwhile, melt butter in a nonstick skillet. Add the pecans; saute until golden. Stir in the lemon juice and zest. Pour over rice and stir to coat. Sprinkle with parsley.

LEMON ROAST CHICKEN WITH PILAF

Steps:

• Chicken: Mix lemon juice and oil, salt and pepper.
• Rub mixture over chicken and in cavity.
• Put squeezed out lemon halves in chicken cavity and sprigs of rosemary (or dried).
• Roast breast side down in oven at 200oC until almost cooked.
• Turn over and allow to finish breast side up.
• Let chicken rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.
• Pilaf: Wash rice and drain.
• In a frying pan over low/medium heat cook the onion in oil and butter for five minutes.
• Add the rice, stirring with a metal spoon and allow to brown a little.
• Turn down the heat and add hot stock, cloves and cinnamon.
• Stir in well, cover and leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
• When rice is cooked add chopped pistachios and whole currents.
• Serve chicken on rice with lemony pan juices from the chicken.

CROWN ROAST OF LAMB WITH PILAF STUFFING

Steps:

• Roast:In a small skillet over medium-high, toast coriander seeds until dark brown and fragrant, 3 minutes. Grind in a spice grinder, or crush with a mortar and pestle.
• Place racks of lamb, fat-side down, on a work surface. Cut one-third of the way through flesh between each rib bone. (This will allow racks to fan open into a crown shape.) Stand racks upright, with fat sides touching. Thread a trussing nee- dle with kitchen twine, and run it horizontally through meat just below last rib bone on one rack, and straight through meat of opposite chop. Form a half-circle by pulling ends of twine together as tightly as possible; tie. Repeat process on opposite ends of racks to finish crown. Where racks are joined, tie rib bones together. Crown can be made up to a day in advance and stored, uncovered, in the refrigerator. (Or just ask your butcher to pre- pare the crown.)
• Stir together ground coriander, lemon zest, garlic, thyme leaves, oil, 4 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper until a paste forms. Spread mixture evenly over roast. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees with rack in bottom third. Place lemon wedges, thyme sprigs, and broth in a roasting pan. Place a flat rack over lemons, then center lamb on rack. Roast until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of roast (near but not touching bones) reads 140 degrees for medium-rare, 35 to 40 minutes. (Prepare pilaf while roast is in oven.) Transfer lamb to a platter; let stand 15 minutes. Remove rack, lemon wedges, and thyme from pan, reserving pan for gravy.
• Pilaf:Heat a large saucepan over medium-high. Swirl in 2 tablespoons oil. Add bulgur, rice, and onion; season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture hasa nutty aroma and rice turns golden in places, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in broth and 1 1/4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until liquid has evaporated and bulgur is tender but still slightly chewy, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork, then stir in parsley, pine nuts, currants, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Spoon pilaf into center of finished crown roast on platter, if desired.
• Gravy:While lamb is resting, place roasting pan across two burners on medium-high. Add 1 1/2 cups broth; bring to a boil. In a small bowl, whisk remaining 1/4 cup broth with flour, then whisk into pan. Continue to boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan, until gravy thickens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter until melted and combined. Strain gravy through a sieve and serve, with lamb and pilaf.

LEMON RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Cook rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add celery and onions; cook until tender. Add rice, lemon zest, salt and pepper; toss lightly. Cook until heated through.

CURRANT-AND-ALMOND PILAF

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium. Add rice. Cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Add water or reduced-sodium chicken broth and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Stir in currants and almonds. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper.

EASY LEMON RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Combine egg yolks, cream, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a bowl; whisk thoroughly.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rice; cook, stirring constantly, until opaque, 3 to 4 minutes. Add chicken broth; stir quickly. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Fold lemon-cream mixture into the rice; mix well. Stir in Parmesan cheese and parsley.

RICE AND CHICKEN PILAF WITH DRIED CURRANTS AND TOASTED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large deep skillet (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken and garlic to skillet; sauté until chicken is no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Stir in rice, currants, and cinnamon sticks. Add broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook until rice is tender and most liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Discard cinnamon. Sprinkle with almonds.