When my friend Kerissa Barron first told me about this buttery rice pilaf, I couldn't wait to try it. Then she told me it had saffron in it. Uh oh. For some reason, saffron is a spice that sort of tastes like soap to me. Not a big fan. But, I'll try just about anything once, and in this case, thank goodness. I couldn't stop eating this rice. Browned in clarified butter, with cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, cooked in a saffron infusion, and tossed with nuts and raisins, this rice is the bomb.
Kerissa came over the other day to make it with me. Here's what she says about it:
Throughout college and beyond, I've always loved spending time at my friend Heather's family home. While it doesn't hurt that her family lives on a gorgeous bluff overlooking sunny Santa Barbara, or that they keep one of those pantries any cook dreams of, stocked with every size and shape of pan imaginable and five types of baking cocoa, I think one of my fondest memories and one of the many reasons I'm always finding/inventing a reason to visit, is this golden, buttery, delicious rice. I've had it on nearly every occasion I've visited and with good reason. Whether you are making it to accompany a homemade Indian feast or simply serving alongside a roast chicken from the supermarket, this rice, specked with nuts and raisins, imbued with the golden color of saffron, and fragranced with cardamom, cinnamon, clove and orange can truly hold its own.
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