Tahdig With Cranberries and Herbs

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Place rice in a medium bowl. Pour in cool water to cover and gently agitate grains with your hands; drain. Repeat process until water is almost clear, at least 2 more times. Cover again with cool water and let soak at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours.

   Step 2

   Bring ¾ cup Diamond Crystal or 7 Tbsp. Morton kosher salt and 3 quarts water to a rapid boil in a large nonstick pot. Drain rice and add all at once to pot (it will sink to the bottom). Stir a few times with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking, then stop stirring. Return water to a simmer and cook until grains are nearly doubled in size and most of rice is rapidly bubbling up to the surface, 3–7 minutes, depending on quality of rice. When you bite into a grain, you should see a small white core; grains should remain firm. Drain rice and rinse under cold running water until cool; reserve pot. Set rice aside.

   Step 3

   Melt ghee in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add cranberries, rosemary, sage, and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries are plump and herbs frizzle and crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cranberries and herbs to a plate. Set ghee aside.

   Step 4

   Grind saffron and sugar with mortar and pestle to a fine powder. Add 2 Tbsp. hot water and stir to dissolve; set aside.

   Step 5

   Mix egg yolk, yogurt, half of reserved ghee (scant ¼ cup), 1 Tbsp. saffron mixture, and remaining ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a medium bowl. Add 1½ cups reserved rice and gently stir to combine. Transfer to reserved pot and spread in an even layer with a spoon. Arrange herbs on top. Using a large spoon, mound half of remaining rice on top in a small hill, taking care that rice does not touch the sides of pot. Top with cranberries, then mound remaining rice over. Using the handle of a wooden spoon or a chopstick, make a hole in the center of the mound all the way to just above tahdig (the bottom layer). This will help the steam circulate throughout the rice. Drizzle remaining saffron mixture and ghee over, followed by 2 Tbsp. water. Wrap lid with a kitchen towel; cover pot. Secure ends of towel to pot handles with rubber bands or twine.

   Step 6

   Set pot over medium-high heat. Do not uncover at any point. Cook until sides of pot are very hot to the touch and you can hear the tahdig simmering, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, undisturbed, until rice begins to smell toasty (but not burnt) and simmering sounds have subsided, 40–45 minutes. (If it’s your first time making tahdig, start checking for cues after 25 minutes. Timing can vary greatly depending on your pot and burners.) Remove lid; the rice should be fluffy and fully cooked. Using an offset spatula or fork, lift the bottom layer and take a peek to see if a crust has formed. If not, re-cover pot and continue cooking another 10 minutes. Once it has, remove pot from heat and let rice sit, covered, 10 minutes.

   Step 7

   Uncover rice and scoop off mounded rice along with cranberries and herbs to a platter. Loosen rice crust with an offset spatula and either turn out onto another plate or break into large pieces in the pot and place atop rice, golden side up.

   Step 8

   Do ahead: Rice can be parboiled 2 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container; cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.