Recipe: Baked Rice with Red Peppers and Herbs

BAKED RICE WITH RED PEPPERS AND HERBS

"I prefer to use converted (parboiled) rice. After cooking, the grains remain slightly firm, retain their shape, and do not stick together or become gluey."

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup converted rice, uncooked
1 1/2 cups fresh or canned chicken broth or water
2 sprigs parsley
1 sprig thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1/2 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy ovenproof saucepan and cook the onion, red pepper, and garlic, stirring with a wooden spoon until the onion is translucent.

Add the rice and stir briefly over low heat until all the grains are coated with oil.

Stir in the broth, making sure there are no lumps in the rice. Add the parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and cayenne. Cover with a close-fitting lid and place in the oven.

Bake the rice exactly 17 minutes. Remove the cover and discard the bay leaf, parsley, and thyme sprigs. Stir with a 2-pronged fork and serve.

Makes 4 servings
Source: Pierre Franey Cooks with His Friends by Pierre Franey