Baked Minty Rice with Feta and Pomegranate Relish

Pomegranate Relish

• ½ cup walnuts
• ¾ cup pomegranate seeds (from about ½ large pomegranate)
• ¾ cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted, coarsely chopped
• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
• 1 garlic clove, crushed into a paste

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Rice and Assembly

• 2 cups basmati rice
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 10 mint sprigs
• 8 ounces feta, sliced ¼-inch thick

ingredient Info

• Pomegranate molasses can be found at Middle Eastern markets, some supermarkets, and online.

Pomegranate Relish

1. Place a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 350°. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 5–8 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop. Increase oven temperature to 450°.
2. Toss walnuts, pomegranate seeds, olives, oil, mint, parsley, pomegranate molasses, and garlic in a medium bowl to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Rice and Assembly
4. Combine rice, butter, and salt in a 13x9" baking dish, then pour in a scant 3½ cups water; top with mint sprigs. Cover tightly with foil and bake until rice is tender and water is absorbed, 30–35 minutes. Remove from oven; pluck out mint. Fluff rice with a fork.
5. Heat broiler. Arrange feta over rice. Broil until rice around edges of pan is browned and crisp and feta is starting to brown, 8–10 minutes. Spoon pomegranate relish over.