Chef Sean McGaughey
Troubadour, Healdsburg
“We’re bread people,” says Chef Sean McGaughey of Troubadour, the bakery nee sandwich shop nee French Bistro in Healdsburg he owns with his wife, acclaimed pastry chef Melissa McGaughey. “For us, a good piece of bread is an ideal side.” But a crispy Persian pilaf called tahdig is a close second. Taught how to make the dish by the mother of his best friend, McGaughey relies on the flexibility of tahdig to cohere many meals at home. “It’s the perfect canvas,” he says. Crispy Bottom Persian Rice is made with basmati rice that is soaked and parboiled, then coated in yogurt and egg and spread in a pan. Subjected initially to a medium-high flame, the rice crisps to a satisfying crunch. Infused with saffron-soaked salt water, tahdig’s flavor profile is Persian: a Middle Eastern balance of sweet, sour and savory. For McGaughey, saffron’s not political: “Find some smuggled Iranian stuff,” he advises. “It’s the best.” The dish can be assembled with a flexible list of varied ingredients: potatoes, dried fruits, garlic and caramelized onion. “This is more of a method recipe than a measurement one,” he says. “But once you learn how it works, it’s super versatile.” Cooked on the stovetop in a greased pot, tahdig is inverted onto a platter before serving, tempting diners with its fine, golden crisp.
“For us, a good piece of bread is an ideal side.” But a crispy Persian pilaf called tahdig is a close second.”
Tahdig (Crispy Bottom Persian Rice)
Ingredients
- 3 cups basmati rice
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- ¼ cup boiling water
- ¼ teaspoon saffron threads (find some smuggled Iranian stuff, it’s the best)
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 Yukon Gold potato, peeled and sliced ⅛-inch thick
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cover rice with cold water and 1 tablespoon salt. Soak for 1 hour, then drain.
- In a small bowl, combine boiling water and saffron. Whisk in 1 tablespoon salt and 6 tablespoons of the melted butter.
- In another bowl, whisk together yogurt and egg, then stir in half of saffron mixture.
- In yet another bowl, toss potato slices with 1 tablespoon saffron mixture to coat.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with 1 tablespoon salt. Boil rice until slightly tender but still not fully cooked, 5 minutes; drain. Think of this like cooking pasta to al dente.
- Grease a 10-inch nonstick pot with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. To the yogurt mixture, gently stir in 3 cups of the boiled rice until coated. Line the bottom of pot with potato slices, then spread coated rice over the potatoes and up 1 inch around sides. Top with remaining rice.
- With your fingers, poke 10–12 little holes in the rice and drizzle the remaining saffron water inside each hole.
- Wrap a towel around pot lid and cover. Place over medium-high heat until you begin to hear rice sizzling, 4–5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook until the underside of the potatoes are golden brown, 15–20 minutes; remove from heat.
- Place your serving platter over the pot and invert so the potatoes are on top, then serve. Serves 4–6.
