Getting Fresh

It's amazing how fresh herbs transform a dish. Instead of my tired old rice pilaf, last night I made a Spinach-Rice Pilaf that uses fresh dill. Yum. The recipe is from Jim Botsacos, chef of New York's acclaimed Molyvos Restaurant, in his book The New Greek Cuisine. The book is not new - it was published back in 2005 - but it features some fabulous recipes. If you're a fan of Greek cuisine, you'll love these dishes. I served the rice with Pan-Roasted Sirloin that's also in the book and featured below.

 

Spinach Rice Pilaf

3 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup plus 3 TB olive oil

2 cups finely diced onion

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 cups finely diced peeled, seeded very ripe tomatoes (I omitted)

1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice

1/2 pound fresh spinach (stems removed and cut into 1 inch pieces - I didn't)

 grated zest of 2 lemons

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

Preheat oven to 400F.

Place the stock in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. 

Lower the heat enough to just keep the stock very hot. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in an ovenproof saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion along with a pinch of salt. Cover and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the onions have sweated their liquid and not taken on any color. 

At this point, add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the onion mixture is cooking, heat the remaining 1/4 c. olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the spinach, a couple of handfuls at a time, and cook, lifting and tossing, for about 5 minutes, or until the spinach is just cooked.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Chef indicates to place spinach in a colander to drain and, when cool enough to handle, use your hands and squeeze out all excess liquid. (I did neither of these.) Set aside.

Add the hot stock to the rice, raise the heat, and bring to a boil. 

Immediately lower the heat to a bare simmer. Taste and, if necessary, add more salt and pepper. Cover and place in the preheated oven. After about 10 minutes, uncover and check the liquid level. When the liquid is at the same level as the rice, fold in the reserved spinach. 

Bake for about 20 minutes longer, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender. You might want to check after 12 minutes to see how the things are progressing, but don't stir, says chef.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the rice rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork, then fold in the lemon zest, dill, and butter just before serving with Pan-Roasted Sirloin featured below.

Pan Roasted Sirloin 

Two 16-ounce sirloin steaks with about 1/8 inch fat remaining around the edge

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried Greek oregano

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

eight 1/2 inch-thick slices ripe beefsteak tomato

2 small bunches of watercress, tough stems removed

2 tablespoons Kalamata Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Lightly drizzle each side of the steak with a total of 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season with garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.

Place a heavy skillet (cast iron is terrific) over medium-high heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil to the pan and, when very hot but not smoking, add the seasoned steak. Sear, without moving the meat, for about 5 minutes, or until a crust has formed on the bottom. Turn the steak, lower the heat to medium, and continue to cook, basting continually with the pan juices, for about 8 minutes, or until medium-rare (135 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). 

Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Reserve the pan juices. Using a sharp knife, cut off the fat and then cut the steak diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices.

 

Place 2 slices of tomato on each plate. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the watercress in a medium mixing bowl. Add the Kalamata Vinaigrette and salt and pepper to taste, tossing to coat well. Make a small mound of watercress salad next to the tomatoes. Layer an equal portion of the sliced steak in front of the salad, drizzle the meat and plate with pan juices, and serve.

Kalamata Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4 cup Kalamata vinegar 

3 TB thyme honey 

1/2 teaspoon dried Greek oregano

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, or to taste

pinch of freshly ground pepper

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine the vinegars, honey, oregano, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Whisking constantly, add the oil in a slow, steady stream, beating until the mixture is emulsified. Taste and, if necessary, season with additional salt and pepper.

Store, covered, at room temperature until ready to use. Whisk briefly before using. 

(In full disclosure, I did not have Kalamata vinegar or thyme honey on hand. I used white vinegar in place of Kalamata vinegar and organic raw honey in place of thyme honey.)