Cranberry Pecan Rice Pilaf Recipe

How to Use Cranberries while Cooking

Use as many as you'd like to achieve the desired density. You want cranberries in every bite and you want them to be appealingly close together.

Cranberries work well with other flavors. Give them a try with lots of cinnamon and a little nutmeg. A classic pairing of cranberries is with orange. Try them with orange zest. Cranberries pair well with flavors like lemon and almond as well.

Of course, cranberries and chocolate pair perfectly. White chocolate and cranberries should be combined when making chocolate chip cookies.

Tips for Making Good Rice Pilaf

• Be careful when selecting the rice pilaf cooking pot. For rice pilaf, a flat, non-stick cooking pot works best.
• Before making rice pilaf, the rice must be soaked for at least 30 minutes. You can soak the rice for three hours if you have the time.
• Before making the rice pilaf, rinse the rice until the water runs totally clear to remove starch and obtain white rice.
• To avoid shattering the grains, you must often swirl and sauté the rice in a small bit of butter or oil. The rice pilaf will taste better and the grains will stay separate in this method.
• Adding a few drops of lemon juice to water will help the rice to be clearer and whiter.
• The most delicious rice pilaf is made with butter. The tasty flavor of the rice pilaf comes partially from the butter. You can double the smell and taste by using some of the butter during sautéing and melting and pouring over the rest of it after the rice pilaf is cooked.
• Adding salt to the rice pilaf when sautéing will help avoid breaking the rice grains.
• You can also use chicken or beef stock instead of water. This will make the rice pilaf more delicious.
• The water you add to the rice pilaf must be hot. Keep the pot on high heat for about 30 seconds after adding the hot water to the rice, and then reduce the heat, letting it cook on low heat with the lid on. In this way, the rice will be cooked on low heat and the rice pilaf will be perfect.
• To avoid the rice pilaf becoming mushy, remove the lid after the water is completely boiled away and then toss it with a wooden spoon, gently stirring from outside to inside.
• Brewing stage is one of the key secrets of good rice pilaf. Let the rice pilaf brew for at least 10-15 minutes so that the rice pilaf has a good consistency. Now you can leave the lid off or cover the pot with a paper towel to avoid the rice pilaf becoming mushy.
• Now that you have some tips on making the perfect Pilaf, try our: Brown Rice and Shiitake Pilaf Recipe.

Other Meal Inspiration

If you enjoyed this dish, try a shrimp and rice recipe orzo recipe using our own Orzo Rice, or alternatively why not learn how to make couscous for something more exotic.