Green Rice With Snow Peas

Emerald-colored and herbal, this rice goes well with seafood. Substitute sugar snaps for snow peas, if you like. Use more peas than the recipe calls for, for a vegetable side. From "The Versatile Grain", by Sheryl and Mel London.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons butter
• 4  large shallots, finely minced (3/4 c.)
• 1  small green bell pepper, finely minced (1/2 c.)
• 1  large garlic clove, finely minced (1 1/2 tsp.)
• 1  cup  raw long grain brown rice
• 2 1⁄2 cups  boiling  chicken stock or 2 1⁄2 cups water
•  salt
• 3⁄4 cup  finely minced flat leaf parsley
• 1⁄4 cup  finely minced cilantro
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne
• 12  snow pea pods, blanched for 30 seconds (or more)

Directions

1. In a 5-qt. nonstick Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat and saute the shallots, green pepper, and garlic, stirring, for 3-4 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains and continue to saute another minute or so until the vegetables are wilted but not browned. Add the boiling chicken stock and the salt, return to a boil, lower heat, cover, and cook for 35 to 45 minutes, until the rice is tender and almost all the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the herbs and cayenne, using a fork to keep the rice fluffy.
2. Return to the stove, cover, and simmer 2-3 minutes more, then remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes.
3. Mound the rice on a platter and place the snow peas around the mound like the spokes of a wheel. Serve hot.