At the kitchen counter, I am delicately chopping herbs. The fragrance of the herbs wafts through the air, filling the room with a refreshing and invigorating scent. The parsley brings a mild and awakening touch, reminiscent of mint. Then, I move on to dill, with its vibrant green color and watery essence. I have an abundance of herbs, so my rice salad will be packed with more herbs than grains, following the proportions of a classic tabbouleh.
As I toss the rice, I also add in some broad beans and tiny green peas while they are still in season. The rice is warm and buttery, emitting occasional puffs of steam, resembling smoke from a tipi. It dances with flavors of cardamom, clove, cinnamon, and black pepper. To enhance the aroma even further, I sprinkle some rough pistachios, resembling gravel, and perhaps a scattering of dried rose petals for an extra fragrant note.
This rice is meant to be served warm, alongside grilled sliced aubergines seasoned with dried thyme and smoked garlic or succulent lamb cutlets. For dessert, I prepare shimmering sundaes right at the table. I combine apricot-colored melon, cherries, and vanilla ice cream to create a refreshing treat.
To accompany this delightful meal, I have already prepared a sweet ruby-colored sauce made from a tangy puree of redcurrants and raspberries, capturing the essence of the summer season. And yes, I purposely made extra sauce so we can enjoy it for breakfast as well.
For those interested in recreating this dish, the key is to serve it while the rice is still warm and the herbs are freshly chopped. Feel free to substitute broad beans with edamame if desired. This recipe serves four.
To prepare the rice, melt 25g of butter in a medium-sized, deep pan over moderate heat. Add salt, cloves, peppercorns, and a cinnamon stick. Crack open the eight green cardamom pods and add them to the pan. Once the spices become warm and fragrant, drain the rice and stir it into the spices until it becomes glossy with the melted butter. Cover the rice with water, about two centimeters above the rice level, and bring it to a boil. Then, cover the pan with a lid, lower the heat, and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Finally, turn off the heat but keep the lid on.
In a separate pan, boil some lightly-salted water. Then, add the shelled broad beans or edamame and peas, cooking them for 3-4 minutes until tender. Drain them and set aside. While the beans and peas cook, finely chop the spring onions and roughly dice the courgettes. Peel and chop the garlic cloves. Once the beans and peas are drained, dry the pan, put it back on the heat, and pour in two tablespoons of olive oil. Add the spring onions, courgette, and garlic, cooking them for 5-6 minutes until golden. Then, remove the pan from the heat. As the courgettes cook, roughly chop the pistachios.
Next, finely chop the parsley, mint leaves, coriander, and dill. Mix the herbs, pistachios, spring onion, courgettes, beans, and peas together. In a serving bowl, thoroughly combine the cooked rice with the herb mixture and beans. If desired, sprinkle some dried rose petals on top.
Now, let’s move on to the delightful Peach, Raspberry, and Redcurrant Sundae. To make the sauce, remove the redcurrants from their stalks and place them in a small pan. Add the raspberries, blackcurrant jam, water, and caster sugar to the pan and bring the mixture to a near boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, transfer the mixture to a blender and process it into a smooth purée. Chill the sauce in the fridge for an hour or place it in a bowl over ice to cool. If desired, sweeten the sauce with a bit of icing sugar once it has cooled.
When ready to serve, remove the seeds from the cantaloupe melon and scoop out the flesh into small balls. Fill four sundae glasses with the melon balls. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to each glass. Remove the stones from the cherries and add them along with the raspberries to the sauce. Halve the peaches, discard the stones, and slice each half into four pieces. Then, add the sliced peaches to the sauce. Spoon the sauce and fruit mixture over the ice cream and melon in each glass. If desired, garnish with sprigs of redcurrants.
Enjoy this exquisite meal and dessert immediately for the ultimate dining experience. Follow Nigel on Instagram @NigelSlater for more culinary inspiration.
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