Brazilian Arroz de Festa: Pilaf Rice with California Raisins, Almonds, and Sparkling Wine

Position a rack in the center and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Make a parchment paper cartouche.

Prepare your ingredients by measuring out, separately, the rice (do not wash the rice), raisins, and almonds and setting them aside. Then finely dice the onion, peel, and grate the garlic. Have the salt, butter, and bay leaves handy. Measure out the sparkling wine.

Heat a large-sized, non-stick and oven-safe skillet (with tall sides) or a medium-sized pot over medium heat (induction 3-5). Melt the butter, then remove the pan from the heat, and with a heat-safe brush, brush the extra ½ tbsp over one side of the parchment cartouche.

To the remaining 2 tbsp of melted butter, add the onion and garlic and bring it back to the heat to sauté for 2-4 minutes, stirring continuously.

Add the salt. Control the heat so the garlic and onion don’t brown – they should look translucent, soft, and cooked through.

Add the rice and almonds to the pot and stir. Continue stirring for about 3-4 minutes, over medium heat, to seal the grains of rice, ensuring an even cooking in the oven. Work attentively not to let the rice brown. As the rice seals, notice the rice color changing to a slightly more opaque white as an indication.

After 3-4 minutes, add the California Jumbo Raisins and stir.

Add the sparkling wine, and bay leaves, then stir, and taste to adjust the seasoning if necessary. If it tastes slightly saltier than you expect, it means it’s properly seasoned, as the flavor will change as the liquid is absorbed.

Turn up the heat to high until the liquid starts to boil, then give it a last stir, remove it from the heat, and cover the pot with the parchment cartouche. Press the parchment paper down so that it touches the surface of the food and reaches the sides of the pot or pan.

Put the pot in the oven and set the alarm for 25 minutes. After that, taste the rice to ensure it’s cooked through. The bite should be a little resistant, but soft through. If it’s still crunchy, pop it back in the oven for no more than 5 minutes (cooking time 25-30 min).

Remove the pot from the oven, being careful to wrap the handle with a dry towel as you do it. Remove the cartouche, then gently, with a fork, fluff up the rice to ensure the steam comes out.

Transfer the rice to a platter, sprinkle with chopped parsley and toasted sliced almonds, if you’d like, and serve it right away, while still hot.

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: