While a good steamed basmati rice is a very fine thing, this recipe takes it one step further. It has a beautiful buttery, spicey lemony crust, with lovely creamy, fluffy basmati underneath. It goes very well with, well, whatever you traditionally serve rice with. The spices below are merely a suggestion, our favourites so far, please feel free to experiment with whatever takes your fancy. Nik excelled at this dish

200g white basmati rice

40g butter

1 stick cinnamon

3 x 4cm strips of lemon zest

pinch of saffron or turmeric

• Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to the boil. Meanwhile, rinse the rice thoroughly in cold running water. Drain the rice well, and add it to the boiling water. Bring back to the boil, and bubble for 7 minutes. Tip it out into a sieve, and leave to drain while you do the next bit

• In the emptied pan, melt the butter and add the lemon, turmeric or saffron, and the cinnamon. Cook gently for two minutes, then add 2 tablespoons of water. Then add the rice in spoonfuls, seasoning as you go, heaping it in layers so it’s flat, but do not press it down. Make 5 airholes in the rice with the end of a wooden spoon. Wrap the lid of the pan tightly in a clean teatowel, put the lid on, and put on a burner nearly as low as it will go and cook for 30 minutes

• Have 2 inches of cold water ready in your sink, and when the 30 minutes is up, put the pan in it for 2 minutes. Then carefully turn it out onto a plate, crust side up, and serve