Like risotto or its next Mediterranean neighbour, paella, a pilaf is simply a dish of flavoursome rice, as pure or elaborate as you wish to make it. Risottos, using Arborio rice, need a lot of stirring; long-grain rice, such as basmati, is more delicate and should be cooked gently until all the liquid is absorbed, then left to stand for a few minutes, covered, before you fluff it up with a fork. Use a bit less than twice the volume of liquid to rice - 1 1/2 cups of rice, 2 1/2 cups of water or stock.

Melt a chopped onion in butter, then add the rice and stir it in for a couple of minutes. Pour in the stock – chicken stock is best – with a few strands of saffron if you can get it, bring it to the boil then drastically lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer the rice very gently for about ten minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed.

Stand the rice off the heat for a few minutes, then fluff it up and serve.