Twitter chef avatar fun: Eric Ripert's Shrimp and rice pilaf

Better late than never!

This month's chef for our Twitter avatar fun was Eric Ripert, chosen by Leslie of Lethally Delicious. I'd never heard of Eric Ripert before, but when I looked through his recipes, I printed out several interesting dinner and breakfast ideas. I hadn't yet decided on one, but when looking through them again tonight, I realized I had everything on hand to make his quick shrimp and rice pilaf.

Shrimp and Rice Pilaf, Indian-style
adapted slightly from Eric Ripert, via Food and Wine

1 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 bay leaf
1 1/4 cups long-grain rice
2 tbsp safflower oil
1 onion, minced
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup shelled pistachios, chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1 lb shelled and devained medium shrimp, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 pitted prunes, chopped
1/2 tsp orange zest
1/2 tsp fresh dill, chopped
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1. In a 2-qt saucepan, combine the water with the salt and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Add the rice, cover, and cook over low heat for 20 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet. Cook the onion, almonds, pistashios, coriander, and tumeric over low-medium heat until the onion is softened, about 4 minutes.
3. Add the shrimp, prunes, and orange zest, and cook about 3 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through.
4. Add the rice (without the bay leaf), and then the dill and lemon juice.

Verdict: Hubby absolutely loved this one. The kiddos liked the rice (and liked that it turned our tongues yellow!), but none of the "things" in it. It was really easy to throw together and quite tasty. The prunes and nuts added a fun texture and bursts of flavor; the citrus was quite distinct and brightened the whole dish. This was a winner!