K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
For each cup of dry rice (I use basmati; it's nutty flavor works well here obviously) I use one medium Vidalia, one handful of pecans, and one small clove garlic.
Dice the onion; mince the garlic; run the knife over the pecans once or twice, if needed, so that the nuts end up chopped but not too fine (I look for a slightly less than pea-sized finish).
Toast the nuts in a dry pan on medium-high heat, stirring frequently, till very fragrant and evenly colored, about 2-3 min (depending on how hot the pan was when you started--I store nuts in the freezer so they're cold at the outset; they take a few minutes longer). Immediately spread the nuts out on a plate or paper towel on the counter to cool.
Meanwhile, melt 1-2 T unsalted butter (per cup of dried rice) in the pot you'll be using for the rice over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, till soft, about 7 minutes. Add 1/4 of the chopped nuts, the minced garlic, 1/2 a small bay leaf (optional), a pinch of your rub (optional) and cook till the garlic is fragrant, stirring, about 1 minute; add twice the amount of liquid as rice (1 cup dry rice=2 cups liquid).
[For liquid you can use water, low-sodium chicken stock, weak ham stock, etc. I used weak chicken last night, made from Better then Bouillon.]
Bring the mix to a boil over high heat, uncovered; stir once, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook without lifting the lid for 13 minutes (28 if using brown rice), then quickly lift the lid and toss on the remaining nuts--do not stir. Replace the lid and move the pot to an unused burner. Allow to rest 10 minutes minimum (but it can go 20 if needed; rest 15 minimum if using brown rice).
Remove the lid, stir well, adjust salt, add pepper, remove the bay leaf (if using), add optional syrup or flavoring* and stir in well, serve.
* Strictly optional (but delicious) is to add a little something (just 1-2 teaspoons per cup of dry rice) before serving. Real maple syrup is nice with pecans as is pomegranate molasses. Lime. lemon, or grapefruit marmalade works well too. Again, just a little so not to overwhelm the other ingredients.
Note: Other nuts can be used--walnuts, hazelnuts; your choice. Last night I used pistachios (with a touch of pomegranate molasses), and minced dried fruit works very well in lieu of other flavorings noted above. (Added at the end of the simmer at the same time the bulk of the nuts are added, just before the resting phase; minced finely, the fruit will reconstitute in the steam but still have some texture. Minced dried apricot or pineapple work very well as do currants, dried peaches, dried nectarines, et. al. I use 1-2 tablespoons of minced fruit per cup of dried rice.)
Vidalias do not caramelize that well--too much water in them--so cook them just till soft or slightly browned in spots. As an option (or a preference) I often use standard yellow onions and caramelize them well in the beginning saute saute phase. This takes about 30 min usually. If using yellow onions or shallots (another option) I recommend cooking them at least till lightly browned all over--if not fully caramelized--as this deeper, sweeter flavor is better for this dish.
Dice the onion; mince the garlic; run the knife over the pecans once or twice, if needed, so that the nuts end up chopped but not too fine (I look for a slightly less than pea-sized finish).
Toast the nuts in a dry pan on medium-high heat, stirring frequently, till very fragrant and evenly colored, about 2-3 min (depending on how hot the pan was when you started--I store nuts in the freezer so they're cold at the outset; they take a few minutes longer). Immediately spread the nuts out on a plate or paper towel on the counter to cool.
Meanwhile, melt 1-2 T unsalted butter (per cup of dried rice) in the pot you'll be using for the rice over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, till soft, about 7 minutes. Add 1/4 of the chopped nuts, the minced garlic, 1/2 a small bay leaf (optional), a pinch of your rub (optional) and cook till the garlic is fragrant, stirring, about 1 minute; add twice the amount of liquid as rice (1 cup dry rice=2 cups liquid).
[For liquid you can use water, low-sodium chicken stock, weak ham stock, etc. I used weak chicken last night, made from Better then Bouillon.]
Bring the mix to a boil over high heat, uncovered; stir once, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook without lifting the lid for 13 minutes (28 if using brown rice), then quickly lift the lid and toss on the remaining nuts--do not stir. Replace the lid and move the pot to an unused burner. Allow to rest 10 minutes minimum (but it can go 20 if needed; rest 15 minimum if using brown rice).
Remove the lid, stir well, adjust salt, add pepper, remove the bay leaf (if using), add optional syrup or flavoring* and stir in well, serve.
* Strictly optional (but delicious) is to add a little something (just 1-2 teaspoons per cup of dry rice) before serving. Real maple syrup is nice with pecans as is pomegranate molasses. Lime. lemon, or grapefruit marmalade works well too. Again, just a little so not to overwhelm the other ingredients.
Note: Other nuts can be used--walnuts, hazelnuts; your choice. Last night I used pistachios (with a touch of pomegranate molasses), and minced dried fruit works very well in lieu of other flavorings noted above. (Added at the end of the simmer at the same time the bulk of the nuts are added, just before the resting phase; minced finely, the fruit will reconstitute in the steam but still have some texture. Minced dried apricot or pineapple work very well as do currants, dried peaches, dried nectarines, et. al. I use 1-2 tablespoons of minced fruit per cup of dried rice.)
Vidalias do not caramelize that well--too much water in them--so cook them just till soft or slightly browned in spots. As an option (or a preference) I often use standard yellow onions and caramelize them well in the beginning saute saute phase. This takes about 30 min usually. If using yellow onions or shallots (another option) I recommend cooking them at least till lightly browned all over--if not fully caramelized--as this deeper, sweeter flavor is better for this dish.