Lebanese Restaurant Rice Pilaf

Took me three tries but I finally nailed a restaurant style Lebanese rice pilaf. Nothing I tried online came close to this and I guess the secret is the right kind of rice, the right rice/water ratio and of course, plenty of butter and oil! Find yourself a good Lebanese yogurt marinade, grill some meats, and get a hold of some hummus. If you're from Southeast Michigan or anywhere else with a large Middle Eastern population, you will feel like you're eating at your favorite place! Trust me.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Calories: 203 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon salt
• 4 cups water
• ¼ cup olive oil, divided
• ½ cup butter, divided
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• ½ cup orzo pasta
• 3 cups parboiled long-grain white rice
• 1 tablespoon slivered almonds, or to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Soak rice in a bowl of water for 10 minutes; drain and rinse until the water runs clear.

Step 2

Heat 1/4 cup butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil together in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir orzo until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add drained rice and increase heat to medium-high. Cook and stir orzo-rice mixture until rice is coated in butter-oil mixture and starts to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.

Step 3

Pour water over rice mixture and season with salt; stir and bring to a boil. Cover skillet, reduce heat to low, and simmer until rice is fluffy and tender yet firm, about 20 minutes.

Step 4

Heat remaining olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat; cook and stir almonds until toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add remaining butter and stir in tahini until almonds are evenly coated. Mix almond mixture into rice mixture.