60 minutes
A sumptuous side dish featuring long-grain rice infused with saffron and enriched with butter.
Leaf Saffron, roasted and crumbled
teaspoons
tablespoons
tablespoons
Long-grain Rice
cups
tablespoons
1. Preheat Oven
Begin by preheating your oven to 300°F (150°C). This ensures the oven is at the right temperature when you're ready to bake the rice.
2. Soak Saffron
While the oven is heating up, soak the saffron in the milk. Simply combine the saffron and milk in a small bowl and place it in a warm spot or on the stove. The warmth helps the saffron release its rich color and flavor, turning the milk a beautiful golden hue.
3. Boil Water
Next, fill a 4-quart pot with 13 cups of water, add the salt, and bring it to a boil. This large volume of water helps the rice cook evenly and prevents clumping.
4. Wash Rice
In the meantime, place the rice in a colander and wash it thoroughly under cold running water. This step removes excess starch from the rice, ensuring it cooks up fluffy and separate.
5. Parboil Rice
Once the water is boiling, add the washed rice to the pot and let it boil for about 5 minutes. This brief parboiling step starts the cooking process and allows the rice to absorb some of the salted water.
6. Drain Rice
After 5 minutes, drain the rice in the colander, allowing all the water to run off.
7. Transfer to Dish
Transfer the drained rice into an ovenproof dish. Make sure the dish is large enough to hold the rice comfortably, allowing it to expand as it cooks.
8. Add Saffron Milk
Pour the saffron-infused milk over the rice, ensuring it is evenly distributed. The saffron milk will infuse the rice with its luxurious color and aroma as it bakes.
9. Add Butter
Cut the butter into four pats and place them on top of the rice. As the rice bakes, the butter will melt and coat the grains, adding richness and flavor.
10. Cover with Foil
To seal the dish, cut a piece of aluminum foil that is about 2 inches larger than the rim of the dish. Cover the dish with the foil, making sure it is tightly sealed. This traps the steam and helps the rice cook evenly.
11. Bake Rice
Place the sealed dish in the preheated oven and bake the rice at 300°F (150°C) for 45-50 minutes. This gentle baking process allows the rice to cook through while absorbing all the flavors of the saffron and butter.
12. Serve Rice
Once the rice is done, remove the dish from the oven and carefully peel back the foil. Spoon the fragrant, golden rice onto a warm platter, ready to be served.
Use high-quality saffron threads for the most vibrant color and intense flavor.
Steep the threads in hot water or broth for 10 to 15 minutes to release color and flavor.
Opt for high-quality long-grain rice like Basmati or Jasmine and rinse until the water runs clear.
Sauté the rice in butter on medium flame, then reduce heat to low after adding liquid.
Let the rice sit covered off the heat for about 10 minutes after cooking.
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