Serves 4 to 6
Saffron imparts a luminous golden hue and a floral aroma that turns ordinary rice into gold. Fennel has a mild, sweet licorice taste.
1 cup chicken stock
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
¼ cup currants or raisins
Generous pinch saffron, crumbled
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
⅛ teaspoon chopped fresh chili, or to taste
½ cup minced fennel
½ cup minced onion
1 cup Jasmine rice
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup frozen baby peas, thawed
Stir together the chicken stock, orange juice, and ¼ cup of water in a small bowl and add the currants and saffron. Let the currants soak for 30 minutes.
Heat the butter and the olive oil in a heavy saucepot with a tight-fitting lid and set over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, add the fennel seeds and the chili. Allow to infuse for about 1 minute. Add the fennel and onion and sauté until the vegetables soften a bit, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the rice, stirring, until it gives off a nutty aroma, about 1 minute or so. Add the currant-stock mixture, the pine nuts and the salt and bring to a boil. Stir once, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 16 [ET1] minutes.
Remove the pot from heat and let stand, covered, for 7 minutes. Uncover, fold in the peas, fluff with a fork and serve.
(From Signs & Seasons: An Astrology Cookbook. Copyright © 2017 by Monte Farber and Amy Zerner, with Chef John Okas. Reprinted with permission by HarperElixir, a line of HarperOne, a division of HarperCollinsPublishers.)
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