Here’s the scenario: Husband home late from work, bushed and maybe a little cranky. Wife had worked hard on a recipe that day for her blog post. Finished dish waiting on the counter as her husband comes through the door. Husband drops work gear, picks up a spoon and scoops up a generous amount of the sticky white. He brings it to his mouth and chomps down. He seems thoughtful…maybe even blissful? And then he says, “Beth, you can make this for me all the time!”
Well now, pretty good praise coming from one of my favorite constructive critics. So I thought I’d post it for you!
But first I’d like to share that this recipe is certainly not for the faint-of-heart. Sticky rice has a very distictive texture. And preserved lemon, while absolutely fabulous, may be an overly strong flavor dynamic for sensitive palates. That said, this dish is so worth a try. And for those of you who have no concerns about texture and/or strong flavor dynamics this is a must! Here’s what you use and do.
Ingredients
4C sticky rice
1 medium preserved lemon, rinsed thoroughly & minced
1/4C of fresh basil, rough chop (or more if you really love basil-I suggest another 1/4C)
1tsp of fresh ground pepper
1Tbls of good olive oil
1/4tsp of kosher salt (optional)
Process
Place sticky rice into a medium bowl (sticky rice can be warm or room temperature). Add preserved lemon, basil, pepper and olive oil. Mix thoroughly. Taste for salt level. Add more salt if you deem necessary. Otherwise omit. The preserved lemon with lend a deep salty almost briney flavor. Serve immediately.
Yields 8 1/2C servings.
Ingredients, sticky rice and prepped ingredients:
Quick Tips:
*If you have any leftovers, wrap well and place in the refrigerator. It will last up to 4 days.
*Remember to gently re-warm leftover rice in the microwave. This will soften the rice.
*Don’t be afraid to eat the basil if it turns dark. This happens when you mix the herb into anything that is warm or hot.