Black venus rice with broccoli, almonds and Asian dressing by Gregor Law

Black Venus rice was once cultivated for the sole use of Chinese emperors and the nobility, such was its high regard. I’ve even read that it was believed to have had aphrodisiac properties – hence the name Venus, Goddess of love.

It certainly has health properties, being higher in fibre, minerals and vitamins than many common rice varieties, and it boasts a fantastic nutty flavour. It will turn a rich purple colour when cooked, which looks quite striking on the plate with the right ingredients but be patient – it does take 35–40 minutes to cook. I wanted this dish to be fairly simple but also to show the rice as an equal and integral part of the flavours. 
Recipe taken from Cooking for the Senses by Gregor Law and Jennifer Peace Rhind.

Cooking for the Senses, Jennifer Peace Rhind and Gregor Law, presents a new way of looking at food and flavour. Published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Cooking for the Senses is on sale now for £25. 

For more information visit www.jkp.com/uk/cooking-for-the-senses-1.html/


Ingredient: Serves 2
100g black Venus rice 
100g packet Tenderstem broccoli 
For the dressing 
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp good-quality soya sauce 
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp rice mirin
1 small shallot, very finely sliced 
2 tbsp rapeseed oil 
1 clove garlic, sliced 
1 red chilli, sliced diagonally and deseeded 
handful of toasted flaked almonds 

Method:
1 Boil the black rice in lightly salted water for 35 to 40 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the broccoli by slicing each stem in half from top to bottom, creating twice the number of stems. Set aside. 
2 Mix all the dressing ingredients together and whisk to combine. Set aside to infuse. When you come to use the dressing, you will be leaving most of the shallots behind.
3 Heat some rapeseed oil in a small frying pan and gently fry the garlic and chilli slices until the garlic begins to colour. Remove the chillies from the heat, placing them on a sheet of paper towel to drain and cool. Discard the garlic but keep the oil to use another day.
4 Just before the rice is ready, blanch the broccoli stems in lightly salted boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes until tender but still retaining some bite. Drain the rice and the broccoli. 
5 Serve immediately on warm plates, rice first, surrounded by layers of broccoli stems, scattered toasted almond flakes and the chilli slices, drizzled with a few spoonfuls of the dressing, omitting the shallots. You can add a few thin shallot slices for additional texture and flavour, but don’t serve too many or the onion flavour will overpower the dish. 

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