Shirin Polo, a little something different on the side

Shirin Polo, a little something different on the side
Pamela Osborne

I once had a friend, now cooking in heaven, who served exactly the same meal every time I went to his house. He was pretty offended if anyone remarked or complained about it, which I gathered had happened. He had all the steps down pat though, could put it together in his sleep, and had no plans to make any changes. His wife had no plans to take over, either, dish duty was her niche. I was fine with all this, since I never had that meal anywhere else, but I have to ask: Weren’t they bored?

I’ve been thinking about this as spring and various holidays approach. One thing I’m pretty sure of is that when it comes to what they expect to see on the festive table, most people sitting around it don’t exactly have open minds. How else to explain the cries of shock and horror that mark the absence of, at Thanksgiving for example, a casserole of canned sweet potatoes sloshed with orange juice and topped with a blanket of melted marshmallows? Which, okay, has earned its place and its admirers, people like it and I’m not here to say never.

I have a vintage “Joy of Cooking” that has little poems and quotes at the start of every chapter. “A definition of eternity: Two People and a Ham”, says one. Ham, lamb, turkey (again?), and so it goes. People expect them to be on their holiday table no matter what because they always have been, and they probably always will be. Eyes may glaze over, eyes may roll, nothing will change: we know what we want and we’re sticking to it. What’s on the side, I would suggest, is your only chance to ring in anything different. With that in mind I offer the following, which I first had in a Persian restaurant, Mohsen, when I was visiting a friend in London a few years ago. Mohsen is a very modest restaurant, sort of a luncheonette, but it’s full of Persians and the food is terrific. The name of this dish means “sweet rice,” but it isn’t particularly sweet. It is offered at weddings and other special celebrations, and is Really Good. It will go well with the ham or lamb or whatever other main dish is on your table. You’ll like it, I promise, and, best of all, you can do most of the work ahead of time.


Shirin Polo

Oranges Buy several, let’s say half a dozen. Organic only, you’re going to eat the peel.

1/2 c. sugar

1 c. water

1/3 c. slivered blanched almonds

1/3 c. slivered unsalted pistachios - you’ll have to sliver them yourself

1 and 1/2 c. uncooked basmati rice

Optional: saffron, an onion, raisins or sultanas

Using a vegetable peeler, cut just the (washed) orange-colored peel from the oranges. Don’t cut into the bitter white pith, just the outer layer is what you want. Flatten the pieces onto a cutting board and cut them into very fine slivers with a very sharp knife. You want a cup of slivers, lightly packed. It will take a while to do this, and it’s worth it.

Put the zest into a sauce pan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook at a medium boil, uncovered, 5 to 7 minutes; drain. Do this again with fresh water; drain again.

Put the sugar and 1 c. water into the emptied saucepan, bring to a boil while stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the zest, reduce the heat to low medium, and cook until the liquid is reduced to about three tablespoons, stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, remove the zest — which should look fairly transparent at this point — to a plate. Spread it out and let it cool. This can be done the day before; keep it refrigerated until you need it. Let it come to room temperature before adding it to the dish. If you keep the syrup, you can add it to ice cream, etc.

If you want an onion in your dish, sauté it, thinly sliced or chopped, in a mixture of a few tablespoons of butter and oil, until it is lightly browned and softened. If you want saffron, dissolve a pinch in a few TB. of water, keep aside. If you use raisins or sultanas they should be fresh, not hard and dry.

Mohsen did not use any of these optional ingredients. I called them a few times when I was figuring this out, because online recipes for shirin polo use a host of other ingredients, carrots in particular. But no, they said, only the ingredients listed above. I have used some of the optional ingredients listed and they were good, but the dish stands very well on its own without them. I usually don’t fiddle.

Cook the rice, mix in the onion (and its butter/oil) and raisins, if you’re using them. Put this into a buttered serving dish and, if you’re using the dissolved saffron, drizzle it over the rice. At this point, a few hours before serving, you can cover this and keep it on the counter. Later, put a few dots of butter onto the rice — a tablespoon or so, more if you’ve doubled the recipe, but don’t go crazy — and recover. Heat at 300 to 350 degrees for about half an hour or so. It should be hot. Before serving. spread the orange peel over the surface and sprinkle with the almonds and pistachios. You will want sea salt (Maldon) and pepper at the table.

This recipe will serve five or so, depending on what else is on the menu. The photograph shows a double recipe, more than enough to feed ten. If you double it, use only one and a half times the orange peel and nuts. I think you will be surprised to see how so few ingredients can synthesize into something so very good.


Pamela Osborne lives in Salisbury.

Latest News

Amenia board honors employees for service

Long-term town employees were recognized at the Town Board meeting on Thursday, June 12. Honorees pictured with Town Supervisor Leo Blackman, were Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the Town Garage, center, for her 35 years of service to the town and Megan Chamberlin, current Highway Superintendent, for 20 years.

Leila Hawken

AMENIA — Acknowledging the many years of service accumulated by town employees, the Town Board paused to honor that service at its meeting on Thursday, June 12.

“Thank you for making a difference,” said Town Supervisor Leo Blackman in recognizing Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the town garage, for her 35 years of service.

Keep ReadingShow less
Historic marker dedicated at Amenia Union Cemetery

In anticipation of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution in 2026, new historic markers are appearing at each of the local cemeteries where Revolutionary War veterans are buried. Unveiling the new marker at Amenia Union Cemetery on Saturday, June 21, were left to right, Town Historian Betsy Strauss, Jim Middlebrook representing the regional chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, and Gail Seymour, President of the Union Cemetery Association.

Photo by Leila Hawken

AMENIA — One by one, new historic markers are appearing at local cemeteries where Revolutionary War dead are buried. On Saturday, June 21, community members gathered to see a new marker unveiled at Amenia Union Cemetery on Leedsville Road.

A tent provided welcome shade for the attendees and refreshments as about 30 residents gathered for the unveiling and to share stories of local history with one another.

Keep ReadingShow less
Millbrook Historical Society announces summer Quaker lecture series

The Nine Partners Road Quaker Meetinghouse, built in 1780, will be the site of two summer lectures sponsored by the Millbrook Historical Society.

Photo by Leila Hawken

MILLBROOK — Long in the planning, the Millbrook Historical Society has announced that it is sponsoring two lectures in observance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Both lectures relating to Quaker history are to be held in the historic Quaker Meeting House on Nine Partners Road.

For the first talk, scheduled for Sunday, June 29, at 2 p.m., the historical society has invited Sarah Gronningsater, Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, to talk on “Quakers, Anti-slavery, and the American Revolution.” The topic will explore the role that New York’s Quakers, especially in the Hudson Valley, played in the rise of the anti-slavery movement that followed the American Revolution.

Keep ReadingShow less
Millerton voter turnout declines after 2023 peak

Downtown Millerton

Photo by Aly Morrissey

MILLERTON — Voter turnout in the Village of Millerton dropped sharply in 2025, with just 58 ballots cast in this year’s village election — less than a third of the record turnout seen just two years earlier.

The election on June 17 marked a stark contrast to 2023, when signs littered the intersection of Route 22 and Route 44 and 208 voters headed to the polls to decide a competitive mayoral race between incumbent Jenn Najdek and challenger Kelly Kilmer. That year also featured two contested trustee positions and generated the highest turnout in at least five years.

Keep ReadingShow less