Basmati rice casserole

This is the most comfortable of comfort food. Be careful though, you will want to take it behind a closed door and eat it all. All alone. It’s the butter.

This recipe might serve 4, it may serve 1. It is easily doubled, tripled and I have maxed it out at X 10. ( 2 1/2 pounds of butter!).

Yes, you may substitute olive oil (but why?) and you can share olive oil and butter if you are short of either.

You may use water or vegetable stock or beef bone broth. I suggest adding 1/2 teaspoon of salt if you use water.

You may also substitute flat leaf parsley from your garden for the celery. The stems taste just like celery. I do not recommend store parsley, not only is the leaf flat, so is the flavor.

Lastly, you could use brown basmati or brown rice. You are on your own to adjust time, it will take longer.

 

Heat oven to 350 degrees

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) or olive oil or combo
• 1/2 cup chopped celery or fresh from your yard (or your local farmer) flat leaf parsley stems
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 small onion chopped
• 2/3 cup basmati rice
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 11 ounces chicken stock, beef stock, vegetable stock, or water (add salt if using water)

Butter or oil a 1 qt casserole or souffle.

Melt butter in skillet. Saute celery onion and rice over medium heat until rice is coated with butter and just starting to golden. (about 3 minutes or so).

Stir in salt, pepper and stock or water.

Pour in to casserole.

Cover, bake 40 – 50 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.