To make this exotic green rice, simmer basmati rice in a broth of mint, chives, parsley, and cilantro perfumed with sautéed red onion, fennel, and fennel seeds. When you prepare the herbs, don’t waste too much time on fastidious herb-picking. They all get puréed into an emerald green broth, so no one will ever know if you cheated a little and left some of the stems on.

　　

Ingredients

1 cup chicken stock

　　1/2 cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves

　　1/4 cup packed mint leaves

　　2 tablespoons minced chives

　　1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves

　　2 teaspoons fennel seeds

　　1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

　　3/4 cup finely diced fennel

　　3/4 cup finely diced red onion

　　1 chile de árbol

　　1 1/2 cups white basmati rice

　　1 tablespoon unsalted butter

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　

Step 1

Bring the chicken stock and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a medium pot, and then turn off the heat.

　　

Step 2

Place the parsley, mint, chives, and cilantro in a blender. Add 1 cup of the hot liquid, and purée the herbs on medium speed. Pour in the rest of the liquid slowly, and purée on high speed for almost 2 minutes, until you have a very smooth, very green broth.

　　

Step 3

Toast the fennel seeds in a small pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until they release their aroma and turn light golden brown. Pound them with a mortar and pestle.

　　

Step 4

Quickly rinse out the chicken stock pot and heat it over high heat for 2 minutes. Add the olive oil, diced fennel and onion, toasted fennel seeds, chile, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion and fennel are translucent. Add the rice, 1 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Stir well to coat the rice with the oil and vegetables. Add the herb broth and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Add the butter, cover, and cook the rice 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Turn off the heat, and leave the rice covered for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and taste for seasoning.

　　Sunday Suppers at Lucques[by Suzanne Goin with Teri Gelber. Copyright © 2005 by Suzanne Goin. Published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved..Suzanne Goin graduated from Brown University. She was named Best Creative Chef by Boston magazine in 1994, one of the Best New Chefs by Food & Wine in 1999, and was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2003, 2004, and 2005. She and her business partner, Caroline Styne, also run the restaurant A.O.C. in Los Angeles, where Goin lives with her husband, David Lentz.Teri Gelber is a food writer and public-radio producer living in Los Angeles.](http://astore.amazon.com/epistore-20/detail/1400042151)