Pirinç Pilavı
Turkish cooks often add texture and nuttiness to plain pilaf with toasted orzo or short vermicelli-thin noodles. This pilaf with orzo is the one to serve with Tomato and White Bean Stew as well as other tomato dishes like Silky Braised Leeks and Beef and Potato Köfte in Tomato and Carrot Sauce. It’s perfect alongside fish, and it’s awfully nice as a bed for eggs fried in butter.
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Serves 6 to 8
1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the orzo and cook, stirring, until it begins to smell nutty and turns a dark golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add the rice and salt and turn to coat the grains with butter. Add the water and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest simmer. Cover the pan and cook until the water is absorbed and the rice and orzo are tender, about 20 minutes. If after 20 minutes, the rice and orzo are still al dente but the water is gone, add ¼ cup more water and cook the pilaf, covered, over low heat for another 5 minutes.
3. When the pilaf is done, remove the pan from the heat. Take off the lid, drape a clean kitchen towel over the top of the pan, replace the lid, and set the pilaf aside for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and towel from the pan, fluff the pilaf with a fork, and serve.