Mediterranean Pilaf

Despite its well-worn, splattered, and tattered appearance, one of my favorite cookbooks is Marlene Sorosky’s Cookery for Entertaining, first published in 1979, and one that I purchased shortly thereafter. What I didn’t know until I married Jim, in 1995, was that he did the same thing. Both of our copies were equally annotated, and we liked many of the same recipes. One of those recipes is this one for Mediterranean Pilaf, as flavorful as it is versatile. It’s featured in the cookbook with shish kebab, and it goes very well with that, but it is also a tasty and colorful side with ribs, chicken, pork chops, and ham. It takes well to being turned into a salad; chicken and vegetables stirred in turn this into a wonderful main dish meal.

This is a recipe that you are going to want to keep close at hand in your permanent repertoire. I can’t tell you how many times I have turned to this when I was looking for something a little extra special by way of a side dish. I have adapted it slightly from the original, for ease of preparation.

Mediterranean Pilaf
Adapted from Cookery for Entertaining

3 cups chicken broth
1½ cups uncooked basmati rice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
 ½ cup seedless golden raisins
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon curry powder
1½ tablespoons soy sauce

Place all ingredients into a 1-quart sauce pan. Bring mixture to a boil, cover and cook over low heat 20 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Makes 8 servings.

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Cilantro Rice is another of my favorites, and equally versatile.

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