Rice with Fennel and Golden Raisins

Ingredients

• Salt

  Table

  1 dash or 0.4g

• Pepper

  Spices, black

  1 dash or 0.1g

• Raisins

  Golden seedless

  ⅓ cup (not packed) or 48g

• Olive oil

  Salad or cooking

  3 tbsp or 41g

• White rice

  Long-grain, regular, raw, enriched

  1 cup or 185g

• Fennel seed

  Spices

  ½ tsp, whole or 1g

• Onions

  Raw

  1 medium or 110g

• Fennel

  Bulb, raw

  1 bulb or 234g

• Water

  Plain, clean water

  2 cup or 473g

Directions

1. Trim the fennel: remove stalks and fronds, reserving a few fronds for garnish if desired. Halve the bulb, remove the core, and thinly slice or dice. Peel and dice the onion. Lightly crush the fennel seeds with the flat side of a heavy knife.
2. Heat the olive oil in a 4‑quart heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, sliced fennel bulb, raisins, crushed fennel seeds, a pinch of salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, 8–10 minutes.
3. Stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute to lightly toast. Pour in the water and bring to a vigorous boil.
4. Cover tightly, reduce heat to low, and cook without uncovering until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 22 minutes.
5. Remove from heat. Uncover briefly, lay a clean kitchen towel over the pot, replace the lid, and let stand 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and adjust seasoning to taste; garnish with fennel fronds if using.