Sabzi polo (fragrant herbed rice) with trout

1. Rinse the rice with cold water until it runs clear, then soak in a large bowl of water for 15 minutes. Grind the saffron in a pestle and mortar with a pinch of sugar, add 3 tbsp just-boiled water, then leave to steep.

2. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and add 2 tbsp salt. (Don’t worry about the large amount. The rice cooks in the water very briefly, so the final result won’t be too salty.) Add the drained rice and parboil for 6 minutes over a medium heat. Taste to test – it should be soft on the outside but firm in the middle. Drain and rinse the rice under cold water.

3. Gently fold the rice, chopped herbs, garlic and 1 tbsp sunflower oil together, being careful not to break the grains. Place the yogurt in a bowl, add 1 tbsp of saffron liquid then spoon in 8 heaped tbsp of the herbed rice. Mix well.

4. Melt 15g of the butter with the remaining 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a 20cm wide heavy-based nonstick saucepan (one with a lid), over a medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of the saffron liquid to the mixture and season with salt.

5. Once the fat is hot, sprinkle the yogurt and saffron rice over the bottom of the saucepan in a thin layer and press down firmly. Using a large spoon, gently layer the remaining rice over the base layer, until it forms a pyramid-shaped mound. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke 4 holes in the rice. Insert the remaining butter into each of the holes and pour the remaining saffron liquid over the rice.

6. Place a clean tea towel over the rim of the saucepan and position the lid over it to ensure a snug fit. (Tuck the edges of the tea towel up beneath the lid’s handle, to ensure there is no fire risk.) Cook the rice for 5 minutes over a medium heat, then reduce to a low simmer and cook for another 15 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, pat the fish fillets dry with kitchen paper, then season. Drizzle over a little of the olive oil and lemon zest and rub it into the fish. When the rice is almost cooked, add a few tbsp olive oil to a nonstick frying pan and place over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add 2 of the fillets to the pan, skin-side down. Cook for 4 minutes, or until the skin is crispy and golden, then turn the fillets over and fry for another minute to cook the fish all the way through, ensuring it is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Repeat with the second batch.

8. Once the rice has cooked, do not remove the lid from the saucepan as you don’t want steam to escape – this will make it harder to flip the rice cake out. Fill the sink with 10-15cm cold water and carefully place the saucepan – with the lid still tightly sealed – in the sink. This will produce a rush of steam that should loosen the base of the rice from the base of the pan. Remove the lid, hold a large plate over the top of the pan and quickly flip the rice onto the plate – you should have a beautiful golden rice cake. Serve immediately, with the fish and extra Greek yogurt.