Vegetarian mains
Harissa baked rice with asparagus
A one pan dinner. Don’t be put off by the time it takes; most of it is spent in the oven, leaving you free to do what you like in between. This dish works on the same principle as a kedgeree or paella whereby rice is cooked gently in stock until it has plumped up and soaked up all the surrounding flavours. The asparagus cooks in the steamy heat of the pan at the very end.
Cook's notes
We are using harissa for a North African feel, but you could change the spicing to your liking while retaining the same essential method. Preserved lemon is a nice touch but if they are hard to come by just season the dish to taste with lemon juice at the end.
Ingredients
- 150g brown basmati rice
- 1 red onion, roughly sliced
- 300g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 200g cooked chickpeas
- 2 tbsp harissa
- 1 small preserved lemon, pulpy flesh discarded and skin finely chopped (see cook’s note)
- 500ml hot stock
- 250g asparagus
- small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
- small bunch of mint, finely chopped
- 1 small garlic clove
- 300g yoghurt
- 150g spinach
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
Method
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Step 1
Place the rice in a bowl and cover it in cold water to soak. Preheat your oven to 200°C/Gas 6.
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Step 2
Toss the onion and tomatoes in a wide ovenproof saucepan or casserole with 2 tbsp of oil and a good pinch of salt. Slide it into the oven (without its lid on) for 20 mins or until the everything has softened and started to colour at the edges. You might want to stir it once halfway through to get an even cook.
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Step 3
Drain the rice. Remove the pan from the oven and add the rice, chickpeas, harissa, preserved lemon and stock. Stir everything to combine, pop on the lid and return to the oven for 30-35 mins, or until the rice is just tender.
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Step 4
While you wait, trim any tough ends away from the asparagus. If the stalks are particularly thick, cut them in half lengthways.
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Step 5
Mix the herbs and garlic into the yoghurt and season with a pinch of salt.
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Step 6
When the rice is ready, lay the asparagus on top of the rice, pop the lid back on, and return to the oven for a final 8 mins until it is tender.
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Step 7
Remove from the oven, lift off the asparagus, and stir the spinach into the rice until wilted. You can pop the asparagus back into the pan and serve it to the table to share. Alternatively spoon the rice onto plates and then top with the asparagus. Either way, serve with a generous blob of herby yoghurt.