This is an amazing recipe and can easily be scaled up using the formula of double the weight of liquid to rice.
You can also use the basic idea of this recipe to “freeform” and invent your own versions.
Alternative Ideas:
Tin of tomato soup mixed with stock or water to 500ml with thyme, parsley and bay
Tin of coconut milk mixed with stock or water to 500ml with lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves and slices of ginger
Serves 4-6
250g Basmati Rice
1 Brown onion chopped
160g Butter
1 Cinnamon stick
1 Star anis
6 Cardamom Pods, bashed slightly so they split a little
4 cloves
2 Bay Leaves
3 Sprigs of Thyme
500g Chicken or Vegetable Stock
1 tsp fine salt
Preheat the oven to 170C fan
You’ll need a heatproof pot that can go from stove top to oven. Ideally a pot that has a lid which you will use at the end to steam the rice once it’s out of the oven. Cut out a cartouche (disc of baking parchment cut to size so that it will sit on top of the rice in the pot)
Put the rice in a sieve and give it a good rinse under cold water, agitating it with your fingers to wash off as much starch as possible and the water runs clear.
Cube 60g of the butter and keep in the fridge
Chop the onion. Melt 100g of the butter on a low heat and add the onions, cinnamon, star anis, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves and thyme. Sweat the onions until soft. Turn the heat up add the rice and salt. Coat everything in the butter and add the stock. Bring it to a simmer, place the cartouche on the rice and put in the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven take the baking parchment off, all of the whole spices and herbs will have drifted to the top, carefully remove the spices and herbs. Tip in the chilled butter, fork through the rice and season to taste. Put the pot lid on and leave to steam for a further 5-10minutes.
Whole spice baked rice
Ingredients
- 250 g basmati rice
- 160 g butter
- 1 onion finely diced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 Cardamom pods lightly crushed so they split open
- 4 cloves
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 2 whole star anis
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 600 ml vegetable or chicken stock
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170C fan
- You’ll need a heatproof pot that can go from stove top to oven. Ideally a pot that has a lid which you will use at the end to steam the rice once it's out of the oven. Cut out a cartouche (disc of baking parchment cut to size so that it will sit on top of the rice in the pot)
- Put the rice in a sieve and give it a good rinse under cold water, agitating it with your fingers to wash off as much starch as possible and the water runs clear.
- Cube 60g of the butter and keep in the fridge
- Chop the onion. Melt 100g of the butter on a low heat and add the onions, cinnamon, star anis, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves and thyme. Sweat the onions until soft. Turn the heat up add the rice and salt. Coat everything in the butter and add the stock. Bring it to a simmer, place the cartouche on the rice and put in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven take the baking parchment off, all of the whole spices and herbs will have drifted to the top, carefully remove the spices and herbs. Tip in the chilled butter, fork through the rice and season to taste. Put the pot lid on and leave to steam for a further 5-10minutes.
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