Rice Salad with Nuts and Sour Cherries from "Plenty More"

Prior to purchasing Plenty More, I did a bit of due diligence in reading reviews to make sure that I knew just what I was getting into for my New Year's challenge. Of course, most were raving reviews which is to be expected based on Ottolenghi's previous publications. However, I was warned that many recipes included and intimidating number of ingredients (or type of ingredient) and that several dishes were quite complex. Well, this was one of them.

The general recipe is relatively easy in that you have a bunch of delicious ingredients and mix them all together to create a beautiful combination of flavors and textures. The difficulty comes in the sheer number of ingredients and the preparation of each individual ingredient. So this seemingly "one pot (bow) meal" is actually several pots before you get to the final bowl.

Still - was it worth all of the attention to detail cooking and preparing each individual ingredient??

Absolutely. Could you get away with condensing the recipe a bit (say - use one grain instead of three)? Sure.

Let's talk about these grains.

Uncooked basmati rice

Cooked basmati rice (came out perfectly - follow the recipe!)

Separate preparation of uncooked wild rice

Cooked wild rice - using a different technique from basmati

Quinoa in the process of cooking

With three grains featured in this dish - one would hope to have several pots for cooking. All three require difference cooking times and techniques. I had two pots that fit the bill so I started with the wild rice (takes the longest) and at the same time, got the basmati going. One the wild rice was done, I cooked the quinoa as that takes the shortest amount of time (approx. 9 minutes). If you have three burners and three adequate pots, get this going all at once - that will save you time! These are even ingredients that you can prepare well ahead of time as the dish is not meant to be hot. So ideally, you could have these prepared in advance and not feel bogged down by the seemingly tedious cooking process (though simple). 

As I said, I think you could get away with just using one grain. Perhaps the wild rice as that alone has several textures and would make the dish appear a bit more hearty. Otherwise just the quinoa or just the basmati could be an option as well for a slightly more delicate take on the dish. There is enough going on with other ingredients that omitting a grain or two would not ruin the dish.

Speaking of other ingredients...

Almonds and pinenuts - heavier on the almonds due to the cost of pinenuts

Chopped almonds. I like to cut them individually to ensure even chop.

Slow stovetop toast with olive oil and salt

The recipe calls for nearly a 1:1 ratio of almonds to pinenuts. If pinenuts weren't so expensive I would have adhered to that. Instead, I just saw dollar signs as I was pouring my remaining pinenuts into the measuring cup and decided to save a few for another meal and add some extra almonds in their place. This may also be another instance of possible substitution. I think you could get away with just one nut - probably almonds as they add a bit more crunch - though the pinenuts certainly did add a nice flavor.

Thinly sliced onions

Sauteed

Caramelized

Here's the secret sweetness of the dish - caramelized onions. They are not to be missed!

Fresh herbs. Basil, tarragon, parsley, arugula.

The last bit of chopping was for the bits of freshness sprinkled throughout the final salad. When I ate a bite of the anise-like tarragon, my tastebuds went wild and I was amazed how well it went with the lemon (and everything else).

Add some dried cherries (which are quite expensive as well! $6.99 for a bag at Whole Foods) and a touch of raw garlic (adds some understated spice) and you have a fantastic, but complex (in more ways than one) dish.

We served the rice salad with a citrus marinated leg of lamb. I'm finding that with many of the recipes from Plenty More a simple protein (if you are a meat-eater) is the best compliment. The vegetarian dishes need to shine and have so much flavor that it would be a shame to have it compete with a complex main. Plus, after over 2 hours in the kitchen working on the salad alone, who wants to turn sights to yet another complicated dish!

Rice Salad with Nuts and Sour Cherries served with Marinated Lamb Leg

Overall take: Really awesome combination of flavors. I love how each bite can bring a pop of something new to the palate. The dish was a bit time consuming but I made a full batch so the effort was well worth it as I was able to enjoy the salad for the next few days. And unlike many rice dishes that can't stand up to the cold of the refrigerator, this one stays pleasantly delicious.

Rice Salad with Nuts and Sour Cherries from Plenty More
serves six to eight

scant 1 cup/150 g wild rice

scant 1 1/4 cup/220 g basmati rice

5 1/2 tbsp/80 ml olive oil

2/3 cup/100 g quinoa

6 1/2 tbsp/60 g almonds, skins on, coarsely chopped

7 tbsp/60 g pine nuts

1/4 cup/60 ml sunflower oil

2 medium onions, thinly sliced (about 3 cups/320 g)

1 cup/30 g flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

2/3 cup/20 g basil leaves, coarsely chopped

2 cups/40 g arugula

2/3 cup/80 g dried sour cherries

1/4 cup/60 ml lemon juice, plus the grated zest of 1 lemon

2 cloves garlic, crushed

salt and black pepper

Place the wild rice in a saucepan, cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil and then turn down to a gentle simmer and cook for 35 minutes, until the rice is cooked but still firm. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside to dry.

Mix the basmati rice with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place in a saucepan with 1 1/3 cups/330 ml boiling water, cover, and cook over the lowest possible heat for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, place a tea towel over the pan, replace the lid, and set aside for 10 minutes. Uncover and allow to cool down completely.

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil and add the quinoa. Cook for 9 minutes, then drain into a fine sieve, refresh under cold water, and set aside.

Place the almonds and pine nuts in a small pan with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer to a small plate as soon as the pine nuts begin to color and set aside.

Heat the sunflower oil in a large saute pan and add the onions, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and some black pepper. Cook over high heat for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often, so that parts of the onion get crisp and others just soft. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Place all the grains in a large bowl along with the chopped herbs, arugula, fried onion, nuts, and sour cherries. Add the lemon juice and zest, the remaining 3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and some pepper. Mix well and set aside for a least 10 minutes before serving.