A puzzle, pilaf rice? In La table des bons vivant , chef Yves Camdeborde delivered his precious advice on Saturday to make a success of this dish from the Middle East.
For Yves Camdeborde, the specialist in bistro cuisine, "pilaf rice is pastry". Because this recipe requires rigor and precision, starting with the choice of rice. "Do not take risotto rice but a paella rice that does not stick", advises the chef first.
Respect the quantities
Another essential step: measure the quantity of rice. "Weigh it by putting it in a container or with a measuring glass," says Yves Camdeborde. Then just cook an onion or a shallot before incorporating the rice. Yves Camdeborde advises to "pearl it", that is to say to make it translucent by cooking it with fat.
READ ALSO - Olivier Poels' recipe: sautéed rice
The amount of water should also not be overlooked. The chef recommends "wet it by adding the equivalent of one and a half times the volume of rice". It must then be brought to a boil, seasoned and baked "between 15 and 16 minutes at 200 degrees", according to Yves Camdeborde. "And above all, you don't touch it! We don't put it back in the oven, we don't stir it," he insists. By letting the rice cook, the grains will absorb the liquid.
Coming out of the oven, the chef advises adding "a nice knob of butter" to the rice, and peeling it with a fork. Your pilaf rice is ready.