Saffron Rice with Barberries
I have a sweet Persian friend who shared some Saffron with me. He also taught me about a Persian dish which features barberries in the saffron rice called Zereshk Polo, which typically includes chicken. Barbarries are sort of like a dried cranberry. I found them at a local Mediterranean mart down the street from my house in the refrigerator section. Saffron can be found at similar stores or online. A little goes a long way with saffron, it is such a special spice. This rice is delicious and vibrant. The berries add a tart and sweet contrast to every bite of rice. This is not considered traditional, this is my version of the Persian dish. I have included instructions for with or without the barberries. The cooking time and texture of the rice may differ depending on what pan you use. I use a large Cuisinart 5.5 Qt sauté pan (linked below). I love learning about new cultures through food!
Ingredients (Makes ~4 servings):
1/2 cup unsalted butter + 2 Tbs butter for barberries
1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup Basmati rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 pinch or ~1/4 tsp saffron, ground a little with the back of a spoon
1/3 cup hot water (1/4 cup if not using barberries)
1/2 cup dried barberries, rinsed
2 Tbs sugar for barberries
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Start by steeping saffron in 1/3 cup hot water (1/4 cup if not using barberries) in a small bowl . Set aside.
Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large oven-safe pan.
Add onions to the pan, saute on medium/high heat until translucent.
Add rice, coat with butter and onions.
Pour 1/4 cup saffron/water mixture evenly over rice. Save the remainder of the saffron water for the berries.
Then add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil.
Remove from heat. Cover top with foil. (Do not want to use a fitted lid for the pan or else the liquid will not be able to escape).
Bake in the oven for ~1 hour until liquid is absorbed. Check at 45 mins to make sure the bottom is not burnt. It should get crispy though!
While the rice is baking, prepare the barberries. Melt the remainder 2 Tbs butter in a small frying pan.
Add rinsed barberries, sugar and the remainder of the saffron water. Stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved about 2-4 minutes. Careful not to burn the berries.
Once rice is done, sprinkle the berries over the rice and serve!
Tools I love and recommend for this recipe (Affiliate links):
I am so excited for you to try this recipe! If you post a picture, please tag me @RachelMasterKitchen and Hashtag #Rachel.Master.Kitchen on instagram!
