Based on Please to the Table - this version is for cooking
stuffing separately
Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups uncooked long-grained rice
Salt, to taste
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped dried apricots
1 1/2 cups golden raisins
1 cup dried currants
1 1/2 cups whole blanched almonds
3 oranges
Black pepper, to taste
Directions
Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and let it
boil for about 2 minutes. Add salt. Pour in the rice in a thin, steady stream.
Let the rice boil, stirring once or twice, for 7 or 8 minutes. The rice should
still be slightly hard to the bite. Drain the rice in a colander and rinse
with cold water.
Set the colander containing the rice over a pot of fresh boiling water. Wrap
a linen or cotton (not terry cloth) kitchen towel over the lid of the pot
and cover the pot tightly. Steam until the rice is almost tender, but still
slightly firm, 25 minutes. Transfer the rice to a bowl.
While the rice is steaming, melt the 8 tablespoons butter in a large skillet
over medium-low heat. Add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally,
until they wilt, about 5 minutes. Stir in the dried fruits and almonds and
cook gently until the fruits are soft and plump, about 15 minutes.
Stir the sautéed mixture and the butter in which they cooked into the
rice. Season with salt to taste. Grate the zest off the oranges and add to
the stuffing. Stir well. Refrigerate until ready to use, if you are making
the stuffing the day ahead. Squeeze the juice from the oranges into the stuffing
just before baking. Bake covered at 375 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes.
