Rice cooked in milk for a very long time, until it is a soft cream, is a specialty of Saudi Arabia. It serves as a bed for lamb, often a whole animal, presented on a tray with melted clarified butter trickled on top. It is said that in the city of Taif they make it better than in Jedda or Medina. It is similar to a medieval dish featured in al-Baghdadi’s manual (see appendix). Serve with a cucumber, lettuce, and tomato salad. Some people accompany it with honey, to be stirred into each portion separately.

　　

Ingredients

serves 8

　　1 leg of lamb (about 4 pounds), trimmed of excess fat, boned, and cut into 8 pieces

　　2 onions, finely chopped

　　Salt and pepper

　　5 cups milk

　　4 cups long-grain rice

　　3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter,melted

　　

Step 1

Put the meat with the onions in a large pan. Cover with water, and add salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, remove any scum, and simmer for 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. Lift out the meat and keep warm with a little broth poured over it.

　　

Step 2

Add water to the broth in the pan if necessary to bring the volume up to 7 cups. Add the milk and bring to the boil. Then throw in the rice and cook very gently, covered, for about 30 minutes, or until it is very tender and creamy. Adjust the seasoning.

　　

Step 3

Serve on a large tray with melted butter poured over the rice and the meat arranged on top.

　　

Variation

Step 4

Here is a Moroccan way of cooking rice in milk: Boil 1 pound long- or medium-grain rice in plenty of salted water for 10 minutes and drain. Then cook in 5 cups milk to which have been added 3 cinnamon sticks, 3 or 4 grains mastic (pulverized by grinding with a pestle and mortar), 2 tablespoons orange-blossom water, and salt to taste. Simmer gently until all the liquid has been absorbed. Serve in a large dish with a meat stew on top.

　　

Step 5

Egyptians do a rice similar to the Moroccans’, flavoring it only with cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg.

　　The New Book of Middle Eastern Food Copyright © 2000Knopf