Armenian Pilaf

Devonviolet's Note:

This is a recipe that I have been making since I was a teenager. My Step-Father was Armenian, and we ate this pilaf often, with our evening meal. It has a great buttery flavor, and can be made with either brown rice or long grain, white rice. It's YUMMY either way. I learned to make it with just butter. However, using a combination of oil and butter, helps to keep smoking and burning to a minimum, while still imparting the great buttery taste. I have also made it with just olive oil, and also with a combination of butter and olive oil. Of course, the flavor is slightly different. I think it has the best flavor, when made with just 3 Tbsp of butter (no oil), but it is healthier with the butter/oil combination, and healthiest with 2 Tbsp oil and no butter.

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 6

Yield: 3.0 cups

• 1 ½ cups long grain white rice
• 2 ounces vermicelli (May substitute Angel Hair Pasta)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon safflower oil (Olive oil may be used, but may taste slightly different)
• 3 cups organic chicken broth (unsalted)
• ½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Put the butter and oil in a medium sauce pan. Break Vermicelli into two inch pieces and place in butter.
2. Heat the butter, oil and Vermicelli, on medium heat, stirring constantly, until the Vermicelli is golden brown. During this time, the butter and oil will foam. This is fine, just keep stirring until all of the Vermicelli is golden brown.
3. Pour the chicken broth into the pan, which will stop the frying of the Vermicelli.
4. Add rice, and continue to heat, until the broth starts to boil.
5. Cover the pan, with a tightly fitting lid, lower heat, to lowest temp, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, without stirring or lifting the lid.
6. After 20 minutes, stir rice mixture, and recover. Allow to sit another 10-15 minutes. When the liquid is fully absorbed, it is ready to serve.

Reviews

[PaulaG]

This made a quick and easy side for Chicken With Mustard Pan Sauce. The recipe was reduced by half. The oil was omitted and some dried onion flakes were added for extra flavor and personal taste. Made for *PAC 2009*

[mrsguti]

I've made this twice now, both times with butter as suggested. Once prepared as recipe suggested the other time I browned the rice in the skillet before adding boiling water/broth as suggested by rosie posie. Both times it turned out great. We def. will be eating this again and again :) Thanks for the post

[Rosie Posie '88]

I was going to post my family's Pilaf, but decided to check and see if it was here first, and I came across this recipe. I've been making Armenian Pilaf all my life (both my parents are full-Armenian, so it's in the blood), in fact, I was 17 before I learned that rice is white; I had always eaten Pilaf, which is more a beige-yellow color...ah, well, live and learn. Anyway, this is the exact list of the ingredients that we use for our pilaf, except that we use all butter, not the butter/oil combination. For salt, we prefer to taste the boiling broth before adding salt as some broths (including homemade) are saltier than others, so it's better to taste before salting. But the difference in the preparation is that we add the rice to the vermicelli and saute until nutty and fragrant, and the vermicelli is reddish in color. Next, add (very hot or boiling) broth to the mixture, give it a quick stir, and cover for EXACTLY 20 minutes for white, long-grain rice. White rice cannot be cooked for 45 minutes; it will turn to mush and burn. After cooking, remove from heat, place a paper napkin or paper towel directly on top of the pilaf, replace pot lid, and allow to rest for about 5 minutes. This makes for perfect, fluffy rice. Don't know why it works, but my great-aunt taught us to do this and it's always been flawless. The flavor of this pilaf is...perfection. It's wonderful as is, or as a base for stroganoff, beef or lamb stew, along-side chicken, with pork chops and gravy, with just about anything. One final note, 1 cup of rice grows to 2 cups (not 3) after cooking, which would make 4 servings (not 6). Thank you for posting this authentic and delicious recipe. I'm sure others will appreciate it, too.