Vegetarian mains
Green bean and hazelnut pilaf
Nice rice in a trice.
Ingredients
- 100g basmati rice
- 1 lemon
- 25g butter
- pinch saffron
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 4 cardamom pods
- 2 cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 200g French beans or runner beans finely sliced
- 40g toasted hazelnuts, chopped
- handful fresh dill, chopped
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Put two pans of salted water on to bowl. Wash the rice thoroughly in a sieve. Peel the zest from the lemon in thin strips.
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Step 2
Tip the rice into one of the pans of boiling water and simmer for 6 minutes. Drain the rice well, put the pan back onto the heat and melt the butter, add the saffron, cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, bay leaf and 3 strips of lemon zest. Fry them lightly for 1 minute. Season the rice well.
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Step 3
Tip 50ml of water into the pan and add the rice back in, gently turn through the butter, try not to compress it too much. Gently level it out and press 8 holes into the rice with the handle of a wooden spoon.
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Step 4
Drape a tea towel over the pan, pop the lid on and fold the edges up and over the lid. Cook on a very low heat for 25 minutes.
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Step 5
Meanwhile blanch the green beans in the other pan until just tender. When the rice is ready stir in the beans and adjust with salt, pepper a few squeezes of lemon, and garnish with the hazelnuts and dill.
