Valak Polo is a traditional Persian rice dish with wild garlic, sumac and saffron. It is served with salmon in a lemony marinade.
Rinse the rice well till the water is clear, and soak for 1 hour with 1 tsp of salt.
Place a pot with water and salt and boil as the water comes to a boil, add the soaked and strained rice and cook for 4 – 5 minutes until the rice is al dente, then drain in a sieve.
In the meantime, wash the wild garlic, dry it, and cut it into thin stripes.
In a coated pot, melt the ghee.
Remove the potato peel, cut it into slices, and place them on the bottom of the pot.
At this point, start layering the rice and wild garlic. Place a layer of rice on the potatoes add one tbsp sumac, layer with wild garlic leaves, keep on layering, and finish with rice.
Wrap the pot lid in a kitchen towel and close it tightly from now do not lift the lid.
Steam the wild garlic rice for about 40 minutes on the lowest temperature.
In a mortar, grind the saffron and pour with 20 ml of boiling water, cover it and let it infuse for at least 10 min, but it can also infuse for longer.
Finally, remove a few ladles of rice and mix with the infused saffron.
Grind rose petals finely in a mortar.
Add all spices except rose petals and bay leaves to the olive oil with the grated zest of the lemon and mix well.
Coat salmon fillet with marinade all over and place in casserole.
Top the salmon slices with bay leaves and rose petals.
Cover and let marinate in the fridge for 2 hours or even overnight.
Bake for 10 – 12 minutes in a preheated oven at 200°.
Serve with wild garlic rice and a quarter of bitter orange or lemon.