Vegetarian mains
Winter Parsnip & Mushroom Pilaf with Walnut Pesto
A good pilaf is all about light but fragrant spicing and gently methodical cooking of the rice. As best you can, the aim is to try and get the grains of rice fluffy and well separated. Placing a tea towel under the lid helps to absorb condensation in the pan, which in turn helps the grains separate.
Cook's notes
If you want to avoid using your oven you can finely chop the mushrooms instead and cook them along with the onions and parsnips in the pan.
Ingredients
For the pilaf:
- 200g brown basmati rice, well rinsed
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 1 celery stick, finely diced
- 1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into a 1cm dice
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 200g mushrooms
- 1 orange
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tsp ras el hanout
- 100g finely shredded winter greens - cabbage, kale or greens
- 40g dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
For the walnut pesto:
- 1 garlic clove
- 30g parsley
- 40g walnuts
Method
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Step 1
Preheat oven to 200°/Gas Mark 6. Put a kettle of water on to boil. Place the rice in the pan with a good pinch of salt, cover with boiling water, return to the boil and simmer for 6 mins.
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Step 2
Drain the rice well, keep to one side and give the pan a quick clean. Put the pan back on the heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion, celery and parsnip, season them lightly with salt and pepper. Fry them gently for 10 mins, until starting to soften.
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Step 3
Meanwhile, place the mushrooms in the roasting tin, toss them in some oil and season well. Add a dash of water to the tray and cover tightly with foil. Pop into the oven for 25 mins to bake, removing the foil for the final 10 mins to let them colour.
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Step 4
Pull 3 long strips of zest from the orange with a peeler. Add the zest to the onion along with the bay leaf and garlic. Fry for a further 2 mins before adding the ras el hanout. Cook lightly for 1 more min. Tip 75ml (5 tablespoons) of water into the pan and add the rice. Gently turn it through the onion, trying not to compress it too much. Gently level it out and press 8 holes into the rice with the handle of a wooden spoon. Drape the tea towel over the top of the pan and pop the lid on, fold the edges up and over the lid so they don't catch. Cook on a very low heat for 10 mins.
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Step 5
While the rice cooks, make the pesto. Finely chop the garlic, parsley leaves and walnuts together, or bash them in a pestle and mortar. Mix with enough olive oil to give you a pesto consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
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Step 6
Throw your winter greens on top of the rice. Replace the lid and cook for another 5 mins, until the rice is tender and fluffy, and the greens wilted.
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Step 7
Add the cranberries to the pilaf, stirring them through with the cooked greens. Taste and tweak the seasoning with salt, pepper, and a squeeze or two of orange juice to your taste. Cut the baked mushrooms into chunky slices and serve them on top of the pilaf. Spoon over the walnut pesto.