Perde pilavı is the showpiece of the Siirt kitchen; at weddings it is said to stand for the veil of the bride. The technically hard part is getting the pastry to line the tin: if it tears, the rice spills in the oven. Softening the pastry thoroughly with butter solves that.
Ingredients
For the pilaf
For the pastry lid
Method
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Cook the rice
Toast the almonds in butter for 3 minutes, add the onion and cook for 5. Add the rice, currants and allspice and toast for 3 minutes.
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Add the stock
Add the chicken stock and salt and cook over a low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in the shredded chicken and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
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Prepare the tin
Butter a deep cake tin thoroughly.
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Line with pastry
Brush the sheets with melted butter and line the tin with them, letting them hang over the sides.
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Fill
Pack the rice into the tin and press it down, then bring the overhanging pastry together on top and seal.
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Bake
Brush with egg yolk and bake at 180 degrees for 40 minutes, until the pastry is golden.
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Turn out
Take it out, leave for 10 minutes and turn it out onto a plate.
Tips
- Soak the pastry well with butter; dry pastry cracks as it is pressed into the tin.
- Press the rice down firmly, because any gap makes the dome collapse when you turn it out.
- Do not turn it out before the ten minutes are up; hot, it falls apart.
Nutrition
Values are per serving and approximate.