4/29Blog #5 Can You Tah-Dig-It

    This week's recipe is a crispy-bottomed Persian rice dish called Tahdig. Making this took a lot of effort and careful planning that I did not execute that well. For this meal, I was actually cooking not only for my own family but also for my Uncle and Bubbe, and this was my first time cooking for people outside my family. Now the rice was delicious. While I could've gotten the bottom a more golden-brown color, it was still crispy and delicious. 

    I had to wash the rice first, then let it soak while my water boiled. I then par-cooked my rice for 4-5 minutes and then mixed in salt and olive oil. I then put down an inch of rice in a pan, along with saffron (an ingredient I was super excited to use), and seared it for five minutes for an initial crisp. I then added the rest of the rice, covered it with a damp towel, and then put a lid on it for 40 minutes. I did have to get some assistance flipping the pan onto the serving plate, as I did not trust my own strength and skill to not drop the whole thing and make a mess. I garnished the dish with fresh-made candied orange zest which I made by boiling the zest in water, removing the zest, then adding sugar to the remaining orange water to make a syrup. I then added the zest back in then put it in a bowl to cool. My second garnish was toasted and crushed pistachios.

     Now I know what you're thinking, "Micah, this seems like it took more time than you anticipated and dinner was served later than you intended," and you would be absolutely right. I didn't do a good job accounting for how hard rice is to transfer to and from different containers, how long boiling four liters of water would take, and how long the rice had to sit. I had initially intended for the meal to be served at 6:30 but it ended up being around 7'o clock when I served it. Now, this isn't the end of the world, but it is something I have to learn to be better at. Despite my latencies, I got rave reviews, and this was rice unlike how I had ever had it.

     I had just assumed that when rice crisped it was overdone, or a mistake. Doing it on purpose wasn't something I was aware of until I watched the Netflix show Salt Fat Acid Heat. In the Heat episode, the host- who is Persian- and her mother made this dish. When I saw the dish all these months later in Shuk, I knew I had to make it. The sensation of eating crispy rice like this is not unlike eating a potato chip, or rather a mix between a potato chip and a rice cake. Rice is always on the table at Jewish celebrations and so I was excited after eating this to add it to my repertoire of rice I could make for any occasion. I can't wait to try to make this dish again, and try to time it, and make it perfect.