Spanish Rice Pilaf
Impress your guests when you lite this dish on fire! Spanish Rice Pilaf can be served with fish or by itself. It's positively bursting with flavors, red peppers, onions, and mushrooms. This recipe will put other rice dishes to shame.
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper, halved and seeded
- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, peeled and halved
- 2 cups short-grain rice, preferably carnaroli, vialone nano or Arborio
- salt to taste
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and lightly crushed
- 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 pound medium shrimp, shelled, deveined and cut in half
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons brandy
- 1/3 cup canned crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- pinch powdered saffron
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a broiler with a rack 3 inches from the heating element.
- Place the pepper halves, cut side down, on a baking sheet, and broil until the entire pepper surface is blackened. Put the pepper into a small paper bag, and fold the top to seal. Leave the peppers in the bag 20 to 30 minutes or until cool. Peel the peppers, and cut into 1/2 inches and dice. Set aside.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil over high heat. Then, reduce the heat to low and keep the broth at a simmer.
- Melt butter in a large casserole dish or Dutch oven on top of the stove.
- Add onions to dish or Dutch oven and saute about 4 minutes or until the surface is slightly softened but not browned.
- Add the rice and stir about 2 minutes. Add the simmering broth and salt.
- Raise the heat to bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Cover the pan with a sheet of foil, and top with the lid.
- Place in the oven, and bake 11 minutes.
- While the rice is baking, place a large nonreactive skillet over medium heat, and add olive oil.
- Add garlic, saute 30 seconds, then remove and discard it.
- Add mushrooms, and saute about 4 minutes or until they are lightly browned and the liquid has evaporated.
- Add shrimp and reserved red bell pepper. Saute about 2 minutes to sear the shrimp.
- Stir in parsley. Add brandy and carefully light with a match. Swirl the pan until the flames die out.
- Add crushed tomatoes, curry, saffron, cayenne and black pepper. Season with salt. Saute 1 minute more. Add the mushroom mixture to the pan of baked rice and toss to combine well. Serve immediately.
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