Order rice pilaf and you’ll probably get the rice but not the pilaf. There’s a lot of confusion about this.

I asked the waiter, “So what is rice pilaf?” He said “boiled rice.” I tend not to argue with people who serve my food. I kept quiet.

Pilaf is not simply cooked rice, although we often think it is. It’s a cooking method that adds centuries of flavor to our common rice. Any cooked grain can be a pilaf.

The Persians 10 centuries ago discovered the rice they cultivated tasted better browned before boiling. They called it pilau. Much later, others named it pilaf.

Pilaf owes its timelessness to its versatility. You can throw in any vegetables and meats and make a worthy casserole. Pilaf is so universal, it has adapted to Chinese, Far East, Indian, Middle East, Latin American and Caribbean cuisines.

Plain boiled rice is grainy and sticky tasting. Frying it first to a slightly golden brown creates a nutty flavor. Big plus: The rice will pick up any flavoring you add. Onion and garlic are most common.

In India, pilaf is the foundation of dozens of curry-laced recipes. The Armenians added eggplant, the Caribbean islanders adore chicken or fish with hot peppers, and the Arabs leave their mark with lamb chunks and vegetables.

It’s easy to make. The pre-roasting affects only the rice hull. This fortifies the structure of the grains, increasing the chance for nonsticky rice that separates easily.

The routine is to heat a tablespoon of oil in your rice pot, add rice, turn to medium heat and stir it. The rice will lightly brown in about five minutes. Then add broth and boil, cover and reduce heat to low, about 20 minutes.

You can try this with quick rice, but the texture and flavor will be different. Quick has the hull milled off, an important source of fiber.

Rice in America is eaten far less than in other countries. Fine pilafs are few here. Today’s recipe makes a big show of it, served in boats of hollowed-out eggplants.

PILAF IN A BOAT

2 large eggplants, 2 pounds worth
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 green pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
3 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, or use canned, about 10 ounces
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
2/3 cup marinated olives such as Kalamata, seeded and sliced
2 cups or more chicken broth
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup pine nuts or pecans, chopped
4 tablespoons feta cheese or more
8 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped

Trim the stem end off the eggplants. Slice them widthwise. Scoop out the flesh from each half, leaving about a quarter inch in the boats. Chop the flesh.

Heat oil and add rice over medium heat, stirring it to brown evenly. In a separate skillet, add remaining ingredients. Sauté lightly to soften vegetables, about 10 minutes.

Add browned rice and stir, season with salt and pepper. Lightly brush the eggplants with olive oil inside and out. Mound up the rice and vegetables in each half. Top with feta cheese.

Dribble olive oil lightly on top. Bake the boats on a sheet for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees. They are done when the rice is tender. Garnish with parsley.

Serves 4 as a main dish. Cut boats in half for a side dish for 6-8.

Jim Hillibish writes for The Repository in Canton, Ohio. Contact him at jim.hillibish@cantonrep.com.