Armenian pilaf in its cooking pot
The browned spaghetti adds a bit of texture and flavor that turns regular pilaf into Armenian Pilaf. My ex-wife learned this from her next door Armenian neighbor and I was surprised to find it’s a popular dish on the internet. Serves 8-10.
Ingredients:
½ c dried spaghetti, vermicelli, angel hair or other stick pasta, broken into 1 inch pieces
1 ½ T butter
1 ½ T olive oil
2 c basmanti or other long grain rice
1 c chopped onion
3 c chicken stock
1-2 t Kosher salt or to taste
Method: heat a dry saucepan to medium and add pasta; roast 5 minutes or so, tossing the pan frequently to turn pasta, until it starts to turn a golden brown. Do not let it burn. Remove the pasta to a plate and add butter and oil to the pan. Saute the onion till translucent then add rice and sauté a few minutes more. Add stock and 1 t salt and bring to boil; taste and add more salt if needed. Cover and simmer on very low heat 20 minutes, then turn off heat without peeking and rest 20 minutes. Fluff with a spoon before serving; rice should have completely absorbed all liquid.
