Pilaf on a Tangent

In all my culinary adventures, I’ve never made rice pilaf. Sounds dumb, right? I’ve made steamed rice, fried rice, Spanish rice, risotto…but never plain old rice pilaf. Inspired by a Food Network show I watched this morning, I decided I needed it to survive the day. And once I get it in my head…well….

I knew the basics of creating a pilaf, so I went through the fridge to see what I had and the recipe below is what I came up with. I used up scraps of CSA veggies and herbs, which are running low since the next delivery isn’t until Wednesday. It was some sort of flash of inspiration, because this turned out better than any pilaf I’ve had in a restaurant. And even better, it’s filled with things that are actually good for you! Test subject Bill approves of this pilaf – another hit!

Leek & Green Onion Pilaf

1 large leek, quartered and sliced

5 large green onions, sliced with the green tops reserved

4 large cloves of garlic, minced

sprig of fresh rosemary

1 bay leaf

2 T coconut oil

1 t salt

1 c uncooked rice (I used basmati)

1 c homemade chicken stock

1 c water

In a dutch oven or heavy sauce pan (I used my Le Creuset Dutch Oven) heat coconut oil until it melts. Add leeks, white parts of onion and garlic and salt and sautee until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir until you start to see browned spots start appearing on the bottom of the dish. Lay rosemary and bay leaf on top and pour the chicken stock and water over everything. Cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and sprinkle the green onion tops over the pilaf. I served mine with some shredded parmesan and a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Now, when I say large green onions I mean LARGE. Not the tiny paltry ones you find at the grocery store. The white parts of the onion were as long and as big around as my thumb, maybe even slightly bigger. So if you use grocery store green onions (organic, please) you will need probably four times as many as I used.

Try and enjoy!