Shirin Polo with Raisins

Ingredients:

• 3 cup basmati rice
• 2 TBS salt
• 1 TBS hot water
• ¼ teaspoon crushed saffron
• 1 ½ TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 1 russet potato, cut into ¼-inch thick circles
• 4 TBS unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 medium-sized oranges
• 2 TBS granulated sugar
• 1 carrot, about 3 ounces
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup almond slivers
• ¼ cup pistachios, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup California Raisins, red and/or golden

Instructions:

1. In a medium-sized bowl soak rice with water.
2. Gently wash the rice by stirring the rice in the water with your hand. This helps wash some of the starch and grit out. Pour out the water and repeat two more times.
3. After washing and draining the rice a third time, cover the rice again with water then stir in 1 TBS salt.
4. In a small bowl mix hot water and saffron. Set aside for it to steep.
5. Fill a 5-quart non-stick pot with 8 cups water and 1 TBS salt. Bring water to boil.
6. When the water has come to boil, pour out the water in the bowl containing the soaking rice. Add the wet rice to the boiling water.
7. When the water comes to boil again and the rice floats to the top of the pot (approx. 6 mins), pour the contents of the pot through a fine colander. You know your rice is ready to strain if you bite a rice kernel and the center is still uncooked.
8. Return the pot to the burner, set heat to medium and add olive oil. Arrange the potato slices onto the bottom of the pot in one single layer.
9. Using a spatula, gently scoop the drained rice into the pot. Make sure you do not push the rice in together as this will result in mushy rice. Scatter the rice throughout the pot, in a pyramid shape until finished. Your pot should not be filled to the top. You will need about 3 inches between the top of your rice and the top of the pot.
10. Using the handle of a long wooden spoon or another utensil, gently press a hole down the center of the rice to allow the steam to travel freely through the pot.
11. Scatter 2 TBS of butter pieces along the top of the rice.
12. Cover the lid of your pot with a clean towel or several paper towels, and set firmly over your pot to prevent steam from escaping. The towel will keep the condensation from dropping back into your rice and turning the rice into mush.
13. After 7 minutes, lower the heat to low and let the rice finish cooking for another 45 minutes.
14. While the rice is cooking, prepare the toppings.
15. Using a sharp knife or peeler remove the skin from oranges. Remove the pith, the white part of the skin, from the peel and cut into thin strips about 1-inch long.
16. In a small pan over medium heat add orange peels and ¼ cup water with 1 TBS sugar.
17. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until syrupy, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve.
18. Cut carrots into match-stick size strips.
19. In a small pan over medium heat add carrots and 1 TBS butter.
20. When carrots soften, about 5 minutes, stir in 1 TBS sugar and cinnamon.
21. Cook for another 5 minutes and stir in ½ teaspoon of the saffron water. Remove carrots from heat and reserve.
22. In a small pan, dry toast nuts over medium heat. Once toasted, remove from heat and reserve.
23. In a small pan over medium-heat combine 1 TBS butter and raisins.
24. Cook for 3 minutes then stir in ½ teaspoon of the saffron water. Reserve the raisins.
25. When rice is done steaming, scoop out a spatula-full of rice and place in small bowl. Stir in remaining saffron water and stir to make the rice uniformly golden.
26. Using a spatula to remove the remaining rice and scatter onto your serving platter. Top with the saffron rice. Place the crunchy potatoes around the rice or serve on a separate plate.
27. Scatter over the top of the rice the reserved candied carrots, candied orange peel, raisins, almond and pistachio slivers.
28. Serve immediately.