This recipe for pilaf vegetables with roasted kilka fish with saffron pairs fragrant herb rice with small, crisp fish. It is a northern Iranian-style fish pilaf built around kilka fish, fresh herbs and a concentrated saffron finish.
Kilka are small fish associated with the Caspian region. Their size makes them suitable for quick frying or roasting, while the rice carries leeks, parsley, coriander, dill, fenugreek and a small amount of green garlic.
Ingredients for kilka fish pilaf
- 3 cups Iranian or other long-grain rice
- 350 g mixed fresh herbs: leeks, parsley, coriander, dill and a little fenugreek
- 1 to 2 green garlic stalks, or 1 garlic clove
- 100 g butter or neutral oil, divided
- 500 g cleaned kilka fish
- 3 tablespoons concentrated saffron infusion
- 1/2 cup plain flour, for a light coating
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Lemon wedges, to serve
Prepare the herb mixture
Pick over the herbs, wash them thoroughly and dry them well. Chop the leeks, parsley, coriander and dill to a medium texture. Use fenugreek sparingly because too much can make the rice bitter.
Finely chop the green garlic and add it to the herbs. The mixture should remain visibly leafy rather than turning into a wet paste.
Wash and soak the rice
Rinse the rice several times until the water is mostly clear. Cover it with cool salted water and soak for 30 minutes to 2 hours, then drain.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rice and cook until the grains are flexible on the outside but still firm at the centre, usually 5 to 7 minutes. Drain immediately.
Mix the rice and vegetables
Fold the parboiled rice and chopped herbs together gently. Do not press or stir hard enough to break the grains.
Pour 2 tablespoons oil or melted butter into a heavy pot. Add the rice mixture in a loose mound, make a few steam holes with the handle of a spoon and cover the lid with a clean kitchen towel.
Steam over low heat for 35 to 45 minutes. Stir the saffron infusion into a small portion of cooked rice, then spoon that golden rice over the top before serving. Our saffron brewing guide explains how to make the infusion without excess water.
Optional oven-mould method
For individual pilaf shapes, grease oven-safe moulds with butter or oil and fill them with the parboiled rice-and-herb mixture. Press only enough to hold the shape.
Cover the moulds tightly with foil or an oven-safe lid and bake at 180°C for 30 to 45 minutes, until the rice is tender. Never put ordinary cellophane or plastic wrap in the oven. Rest the moulds for 5 minutes before turning them onto a serving plate.
Clean and season the kilka fish
If the fish are not already cleaned, remove the heads and entrails. Rinse briefly under cold water and dry thoroughly. Wet fish will spit in hot oil and will not become crisp.
Mix the flour with turmeric, salt and black pepper. Toss the fish in the seasoned flour, then shake off the excess so the coating stays thin.
Fry or roast the fish
For crisp fried kilka
Heat a shallow layer of oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Fry the fish in a single layer for 2 to 3 minutes per side, working in batches. Drain on a rack or paper towel.
For oven-roasted kilka
Heat the oven to 220°C. Toss the seasoned fish with a small amount of oil, spread them on a lined tray without overlap and roast for 10 to 14 minutes, turning once.
Whichever method you use, cook fish to 63°C at the thickest point, in line with the US government safe minimum temperature guidance. Very small kilka may be difficult to probe individually, so also check that the flesh is opaque and separates easily.
Serve the fish pilaf
Place the herb pilaf on a platter and arrange the roasted or fried kilka alongside it so the fish stay crisp. Add the saffron rice and lemon wedges just before serving.
You can also serve the same seasoned kilka with plain pilaf. Keep the rice and fish separate for storage so the coating does not soften.
Storage
Refrigerate cooked rice and fish promptly in separate covered containers and use within 2 days. Reheat the rice until steaming throughout and warm the fish in a hot oven rather than a microwave if you want to restore some crispness.
