Rice Salad With Currants, Almonds and Pistachios

Amarante

Wed, Jul 31 2024, 8:17 am

This was good and the introduction of tahini as a component was interesting and lent itself especially to the chicken I served with it. Obviously it is a make head dish

On reflection I will probably continue to make the Silver Palate Wild Rice Salad I have been making for 20 years as I love that salad Very Happy

Yield: 6 servings

Rice Salad With Currants, Almonds and Pistachios

Summer buffets often feature potato salad and pasta salad, but rice salad, quite popular throughout the Mediterranean, is another terrific option to keep in mind. This simple one, which takes inspiration from Middle Eastern cuisine, uses pantry ingredients. It is delicious on its own with a bit of salad or with grilled chicken or fish. To keep the rice grains separate, boil the rice in a large pot of water as for pasta.

Ingredients

2 cups short-grain rice, such as arborio 
Salt and pepper 
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
 2 tablespoons tahini
 3 tablespoons lemon juice
 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
 ½ cup currants, soaked in hot water and drained 
1 cup whole roasted almonds, roughly chopped
½ cup whole roasted pistachios, roughly chopped
 3 tablespoons snipped chives
 3 tablespoons chopped mint
 2 teaspoons chopped savory or thyme
 ½ cup chopped parsley

Preparation

 Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Add the rice and 2 tablespoons salt. Boil rice as you would pasta, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes until done, but still al dente. Drain and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet to cool.

 Once cool, transfer rice to a large salad bowl. In a small bowl, stir together olive oil, tahini, lemon juice and lemon zest. Add salt and pepper to taste. Gently fold mixture into rice.

Add currants, almonds, pistachios, chives, mint, savory and parsley. Toss to distribute. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more lemon juice or salt as necessary. Serve at room temperature.