Oriental khalta rice

Soak the sultanas in room temperature water about one hour, then drain and rinse.

Slice the blanched almonds in half through the halfway point.

Spread the halved almonds on a foil-lined baking sheet without overlapping and toast at 180C or 350F for 8 to 12 minutes until light golden, then remove from the tray at once.

Wash the rice in water, agitating and changing the water until it runs clean, and toast it straight away without drying.

Melt three tablespoons of butter and mix through the rice until evenly coated.

Spread the rice no more than three grains deep in a baking dish and bake at 180C or 350F for 30 to 40 minutes, mixing every 10 minutes, until light golden.

Dice the onions medium and cut the chicken liver into bite-sized pieces, removing veiny bits.

Swirl the livers in water and vinegar, sit three to five minutes, then pour off and drain.

Melt four tablespoons of sugar in a heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat and cook to a dark brown foaming caramel, just to the first hint of a burnt smell.

Add about 100 millilitres of stock and dissolve the caramel.

Add the toasted rice and soaked sultanas, then salt and black pepper; add stock, stir, and raise the heat to high.

Top up with stock to about one inch above the rice, bring to a light boil and cover tightly.

Boil undisturbed about five minutes until the boiling sound stops, check the water has evaporated, then cover and cook on low 20 minutes without stirring.

Fluff with a fork; do not mix in the white rim of broken rice around the pot.

Melt one tablespoon of butter in a pan on high heat with two small pieces of mastic, then add the liver.

Pan fry 2 to 3 minutes until browned on one side, stir, sit 2 minutes, stir again, and repeat until about 70% browned.

Add the chopped onion, salt and black pepper, mix through and cook on medium about 10 more minutes until the onions soften; do not cook more than 20 minutes total.

Reduce the pan liquid to a sauce thick enough to coat the liver and onions.

Fry the toasted almonds in a small amount of butter until fragrant and glossy, then drain on paper towel.

Plate the fluffed rice, spoon the hot liver and pan sauce over it and top with the fried almonds.