Thanks, Ange. Xx
I have never baked a duck but I’m going to go for it this winter with your recipe. Just reading about it is making my mouth water.
Just for you Sass here's my Indian Pilau rice. You need to pay as much attention to the preparation as you do to the cooking.
Start with 12 oz of white Basmati rice which will be enough to serve 4 people with good portions. This needs to be thoroughly washed first to get rid of most of the starch. If you don't do this the rice won't separate properly during cooking. I find the easiest way to wash rice is in a measuring jug, fill with water, give it a good swish round with your fingers. Replace the water and repeat. Repeat about 10 times or until the fresh water stays pretty much clear. Leave the rice soaking in the water for about 30 minutes then drain ready to use. This should all be done about an hour before cooking.
For the cooking you will need the following ingredients.
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 or 2 fresh green chillies, seeds removed and finely chopped.
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
5 whole cloves
1 stick of cinnamon broken into 3/4 pieces
1 star anise
Half a tsp of ground turmeric
Half a tsp of Garam Masala powder
12 oz chicken stock (I just use a knorr stock pot mixed with hot water)
3 tbs of vegetable oil.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium sized saucepan and add the onions. When soft add the chillies and a couple of minutes later add the garlic. Keep stirring for another few minutes before adding the whole and powdered spices, turning the heat down slightly so the spices don't burn. After a further couple of minutes stirring add the rice and mix thoroughly until all the rice is coated with the oil/spice mixture. Then add the stock and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to very low, cover the pan with tinfoil under the lid to ensure the rice steams, and cook for a further 10 minutes. If you are using an electric hob, I normally have a second ring prepared already at the correct temperature, otherwise you may overcook the rice. Gas hobs are fine. The recipe calls for the same amount of water as rice which will cook the rice al dente. If you like your rice a little bit softer like me, use slightly more water, maybe 14oz for 12 oz of rice.
After 10 minutes (timing very important so make sure you remember set the timer) remove the pan from heat and carefully remove the tinfoil making sure you don't scald yourself as the steam is released. Using a fork remove the whole spices and in the process fluff up the rice. It should be soft and fluffy. It is ready to serve with a curry of your choice.
You can easily turn it into a mushroom pilau by simply frying thinly sliced white button mushrooms in a dry pan and fold into the finished rice. You could also at this stage fold in some chopped fresh coriander leaves which, IMO, further enhances the taste and adds a visual contrast to the yellow rice.
This is a genuine old Indian family recipe passed to us by an old friend of Cal who married an Indian guy. The mushroom and coriander elements are our own additions. Although this is very much an Indian dish it does go well with other foods. For instance, if we were having people around for a BBQ in the summer we would invariably make this as a side dish. My niece used to throw tomato sauce all over it. Sacrilege. lol
