Thursday 12 March 2015

Day 19: March 12, 2015 - Prasorizo - Rice with Leeks - Πρασόριζο (Ρίζι με Πράσα)


Can you believe it? We are already 13 days into Great Lent!

We make rice about once a week, and earlier this week, we made rice with leeks.  Prasorizo  (rice with leeks) is a dish that reminds us of Spanikorizo (spinach rice), but it is a lighter dish.  Leeks have been part of Greek food forever, and we use them regularly in different types of foods.  Braised Leeks are a dish that we make on occasion, because that is a dish that really highlights the gentle flavour that leeks have.  Prasorizo is a dish just like that -- one that highlights the lovely flavour of the leeks.


For this recipe, you will need the following:

2 leeks
2 cups water
1/2 cup oil
1 1/4 cup of long grain rice
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 bunch dill (fronds only)
1 lemon, for the juice

Leeks are used often in traditional Greek cooking.  The subtle flavour and the beautiful white colour they bring to a dish is appealing in any savoury creation.  But, you have to know something about leeks when working with them.  Leeks are onions.  They grow in long, white and green stalks.  But, there are many layers and different sections for cooking.

The bottom roots should be discarded.  The top green part is partly usable.  The darker the green colour, the less edible that part of the leek is.  The white part, which is most of a leek, is the part with the gentle onion fragrance and flavour.  That is the part you want to use.  So, we trimmed the top, trimmed the bottom, and sliced the middle.

Wash the leek well after cutting it.  The dirt and sand and bugs will rest in between the layers.  The best way to rid the leeks of these things is to open it and make sure water runs in between each layer of the vegetable.  If you first cut them into whatever shape you are using, this process of cleaning the leek is much easier and more effective.




After the leeks are washed and cleaned, put them in a pot with 2 cups of water and half the oil (1/4 cup).  Bring this mixture to a boil.  Once the water is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer, and allow this mixture to simmer for one hour.  It sounds like a long time, but in this process, the leeks are slowly cooked, releasing flavours into the water and the oil that will carry through the rice.  The water will mostly cook off, and the leeks will need some liquid again before adding the rice.


Add 1 1/2 cups water to the cooked leeks, and bring it to a boil again.  As soon as the water is boiling, add the rice and the salt.  Now, we are going to cook this like a traditional rice by making sure the liquid is boiling, then, turn down the heat to simmer, put a lid on the pot, and allow the rice to cook for about 20 minutes.  There will still be water in the pot, and you need that for the next two steps.





Once the rice has cooked for about 20 minutes and the grains are mostly soft, add the chopped dill to the pot.  This will absorb some of the liquid that is in the pot, and will impart its flavour to the rice.  Mix the dill well with the other ingredients.

Once this is all mixed together, put the lid back on the pot, and allow it to sit until all the liquid is absorbed.  For us, leaving the pot on the electric stove element, this took 12 minutes.  The time for the liquid to be fully absorbed will vary, but you do not have to turn the heat back on -- even on a gas stove.  There is plenty of heat in the water to cook the rice the rest of the way.

After the water is absorbed, adjust the seasonings.  You may  need to add a little more salt.  Put the rice in a serving dish, and squeeze a lemon all over the rice.  You may like a little less tanginess from lemon juice, or you may like a little more.  Squeeze enough lemon to  your liking, and serve the prassorizo.  It should be warm and a little juicy and delicious.  Or, at least that's how we would describe it.




"Whoever sees in himself the traces of hatred toward any man on account of any kind of sin is completely foreign to the love of God. For love toward God does not at all tolerate hatred for man."

(St. Maximos the Confessor, Chapters on Love, 1.15)

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