Fine Cooking Magazine - November/December 2020

Servings: 6 as a side dish; 4 as a main

This was my go-to side for a few months, working well with pretty much anything else on the table. There’s also enough going on, flavor-wise, for it to be lovely as it is, as a main. Peeling so many garlic cloves won’t win me any “simple” brownie points, I know, but once done, the simple joy of this dish is that the rice is baked in the oven rather than cooked on the stove. For those who find creating perfectly cooked rice in a pan of simmering water strangely difficult, this will be a revelation. Just make sure the foil is sealed tightly over the dish—you don’t want any steam to escape in the oven.

Ingredients

1-3/4 lb. cherry tomatoes
12 large garlic cloves (or 25 small), peeled (2/3 cup)
4 large shallots, peeled and cut into 1-1/4-inch pieces (1 cup)
1-1/4 cups cilantro stems, cut into 1-1/2-inch lengths, plus 1/2 cup leaves, roughly chopped, to serve
3 Tbs. thyme leaves
4 small cinnamon sticks
7 Tbs. olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1-1/2 cups basmati rice
2-1/2 cups boiling water

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Arrange the tomatoes, garlic, shallots, cilantro stems, thyme, and cinnamon sticks in a large high-sided casserole dish, about 8×12 inches. Pour in the olive oil, add 1/2 tsp. of salt and a good grind of black pepper, and place in the oven for 1 hour, until the vegetables are soft. Remove from the oven, sprinkle the rice evenly over the vegetables, without stirring them together, and set aside.
Increase the oven temperature to 450°F. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. of salt and plenty of black pepper over the rice and then carefully pour the boiling water over the rice. Seal the dish tightly with foil and place in the oven for 25 minutes, until the rice is cooked. Remove from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes, still covered. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the cilantro leaves, stir these very gently into the rice, and serve.

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Basmati Rice
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Cherry Tomatoes
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Garlic
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Squash Blossoms

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Reviews (2 reviews)

BeginnerCookLisa | 03/18/2020
This was absolutely delicious. Made it twice now and about to make it for a 3d time. I mixed the rice into the veggies rather than just sprinkled it on top and it turned out fine. My shallots were VERY big so I cut down on the shallot. I make when I have cherry tomatoes that are getting a bit shriveled.
wyrefox53 | 11/05/2018
I think it is an awesome recipe, however the garlic is just too strong for the delicate flavor of the rice ….also, rice sticks to side of pot, crunchiness is nice but not for everyone....

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What We're Cooking Now

Name: Baked Rice with Confit Tomatoes and Garlic
Yield: 6 as a side dish; 4 as a main servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1-3/4 lb. cherry tomatoes; 12 large garlic cloves (or 25 small), peeled (2/3 cup); 4 large shallots, peeled and cut into 1-1/4-inch pieces (1 cup); 1-1/4 cups cilantro stems, cut into 1-1/2-inch lengths, plus 1/2 cup leaves, roughly chopped, to serve; 3 Tbs. thyme leaves; 4 small cinnamon sticks; 7 Tbs. olive oil; Salt and black pepper; 1-1/2 cups basmati rice; 2-1/2 cups boiling water