Stuck-Pot Rice

I love the idea of stuck-pot rice. I had never heard of it until I found it in my vegetarian cookbook this past week. I was leafing through the pages, looking for something interesting to cook and this dish caught my eye. According to my cookbook, this dish originates in central Asia. The section about stuck-pot rice starts out saying, "If you love the browned crusty bits of rice, potatoes or anything else that sticks to the bottom of the pan, these stuck-pot recipes and variations may be your dream come true. Plus, they're among the easiest ways to get an impressive rice dish on the table: You just set up the pan, then walk away for a while. And the upside-down tumble of rice, with the crust sitting on top, is drop-dead gorgeous." They had me at "walk away for a while." :)

Although this book offers several variations, I chose the Stuck-Pot Rice with Yogurt and Spices recipe. Ingredients include salt, white basmati rice, freshly ground black pepper, grapeseed or corn oil, yogurt, lime juice and curry powder. Much to my pleasant suprise, the rice was pretty delicious. From this non-lover of rice, this is a big compliment. There was only one hitch. Technically, you are supposed to be able to turn the rice over and have it fall out of the pan with the crust laying on top. The recipe asked that I cook the rice in a heavy pan so I used my Le Creuset pan. I think the enamel acts differently than a normal heavy pot so the crust needed some coaxing to get it out. The good news is, upon further reading, I learned that the crust is often just broken into crisp chunks and served on top or alongside the mound of rice. So in the end, all was well. I used Field Roast (in roast form with butternut squash, apple and mushroom filling) as my main dish and served it with the rice and a side of broccoli.

If you haven't eaten field roast, I highly recommend it as a meat substitute. It is known as "grain meat" because is is made entirely from grains. If you are interested in learning more about it, you can find information and a list of products at www. fieldroast.com. I often purchase sage and lentil field roast lunch meat and also field roast sausages. All of the products are good when they are prepared correctly. I always feel healthier when I eat field roast. It feels hearty while you are eating but it is clearly lighter on the stomach than meat. Good stuff for sure!