Sous Vide Brown Rice Pilaf

Spice up brown rice by transforming the ordinary side dish into a fruity, fragrant pilaf. Leeks and garlic provide savory notes, currants add sweetness, and a handful of toasted walnuts brings crunch. Preparing the dish in a precision cooker makes the pilaf almost entirely hands-off, and you’ll never have to worry about the rice scorching on the stove.

Author

Kate Williams

Kate is a freelance food writer and editor living in Berkeley, CA. Before moving to the Bay Area, Kate spent two years working as a test cook at America’s Test Kitchen, and has contributed to Serious Eats, The Oxford American, KQED and The Hypocrite Reader, among others. She's currently the editor of Berkeleyside NOSH.

Prep Time: 00:15

Recipe Time: 03:00

Temperature : 180F / 82.2C

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium leek, white and light green portion only, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Kosher salt
• 1 cup brown rice, rinsed
• 1/4 cup currants
• 2 cups water, chicken broth, or vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 180ºF (82ºC).
2. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the leek, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until leek is softened and fragrant.
3. Remove from heat and stir in rice and currants. Mix well to coat rice with oil.
4. Transfer rice mixture to a large zipper lock bag. Add the water. Seal the bag using the water immersion technique. Place the bag in the water bath and set the timer for 3 hours.

Finishing Steps

1. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath, transfer rice to a serving bowl, and sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Season to taste with salt and serve.