Turkish-Style Rice Pilav with Orzo

Rice pilav is famous all over the world and served in some of the finest restaurants as a side dish to poultry or red meat. In Turkey, pilav (pee-LAHV) is the word used to describe not only one, but a whole array of dishes made with rice.

This particular pilav is cooked with butter, oil, and orzo. It’s a nice side to serve with grilled meats, stewed dishes, and anywhere you would serve rice.

In Turkey, pilav is most commonly made using Baldo rice. This is a plump short grain rice, similar to the Italian Arborio or risotto rice, but with a shorter cooking time.

I always find cooking rice to be a challenge, but over the years I’ve amassed some great tips for success. First, make sure to soak your rice in hot water. Add a sprinkle of salt, stir and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Next, rinse the rice and drain it well before adding it to the pan. Rinsing the rice removes the starch on the outside of the grain. This will make your pilav extra fluffy because it prevents the rice from sticking together and getting mushy.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoon cooking oil
• 2 tablespoons orzo pasta
• 1 cup Baldo rice
• 1 cube of chicken broth melt in 375ml hot water
• Salt (to taste)
• Black pepper (to taste)

METHOD

1. In a shallow saucepan, heat the cooking oil. Once heated add the orzo pasta and stir continuously over medium heat until pasta turns a dark golden color. Be careful and keep stirring so the orzo don’t burn.
2. Add the butter to pan. Once melted, add the uncooked and well rinsed rice and sauté the rice in butter. This gives a wonderful nutty aroma, the grains are fluffy and never stick together. Stir thoroughly until the oil has worked its way through all the grains and the rice changes its colour. Add your chicken broth and spices and bring to a boil.
3. Cover and reduce the heat. Let the rice slowly simmer until the liquid disappears.
4. Without removing the cover, take the pan from the heat and put it aside to cool down. Keep the top on at all times while the rice cools. Note: If too much condensation forms on the inside of the lid, open it and cover the top of the pan with a few paper towels, then close the lid over them. This will absorb excess moisture and allow the rice to continue steaming at an even pace.
5. Before serving, open the lid and gently stir the rice to loosen the bottom and separate the grains.
6. You can use a small dessert bowl as a mold to ​give it that signature rice pilav look. Fill the bowl and pack down the warm rice with the back of a spoon. Invert the bowl onto a serving plate. The pilav will pop out in the shape of the bowl.