Yotam Ottolenghi's favourite rice recipes

Rice is one of my main comforts these days, not least because this special grain transports me wherever I want to go – all from the confines of my own kitchen, of course. The thing about rice is, it has a dynamic wardrobe. Yes, it’s small and unassuming, and it does subtlety really well –plain and buttered? I’ll definitely have that – but leave rice with a choice of costumes and, well, things soon get really colourful. Rice looks just as good dressed in the flavours of the Mediterranean as it does dolled up in Persian cardamom and lime. In fact, it looks good no matter what it has on, and I think it sort of knows it, too.Mediterranean-style fried rice with anchovy lemon dressing (pictured above)This has all the wonderful qualities of classic fried rice, with those lovely crisp bits and salty bits, except here they’re paired with Mediterranean flavours. Don’t be tempted to stir the rice too much – you want it to build a crisp, tahdig-like layer at the bottom of the pan. This would be gr...