cookin' plain ol' rice

[waksupi]

Just fixing supper,, so thought I would let you know the secret of perfect rice. I learned it in self defense, as mom's was always reminiscient of a ball of wallpaper glue.

Take a sauce pan, and put in a couple table spoons of butter, or olive oil. Add the rice, and stir, until the kernals turn white, to light toasted brown. Then, add water, and cook.

That's it. A non-sticky rice, ready for what ever you want to serve it with. I taght this to a Chinese cook some years back. The next time I went in her resturant, it got me a big kiss, and a free meal!

[45 2.1]

Hey, how about the directions in English for the cooking challenged? Does this sauce pan and olive oil rice mix have heat under it and just how do you cook it and parts of rice versus water, boil? simmer?

[waksupi]

Bob, yes, heat under the sauce pan is advisable. Cooks much faster that way. For myself, I put in a couple big hands full of rice. I add about a pint of water I suppose. I never measure it, just have a beer mug I fill up, and pour hot water in.

[Texasflyboy]

The recipe for perfect (steamed) white rice has not changed in a long time:

The proportion of water to rice is 2 to 1. Two cups of water, 1 cup of rice. Two thimbles of water, 1 thimble of rice. Two gallons of water, one gallon of rice. So on and so forth. 2 water, to 1 rice.

To cook perfect rice:

One measured cup of white long grain rice. Two measured cups of water.

Bring covered water to rolling boil. Add rice. Cover with lid. Immediately reduce to simmer or low heat. Time for exactly 15 minutes. At 15 minutes, turn off heat. Wait 15 minutes more. Do not remove lid to stir until the end (30 minutes) When done, fluff with fork and serve. Perfect rice every time.

Optional:
To the boiling water I usually add one capful of white vinegar, one teaspoon of salt (to taste) and one or two tablespoons of olive oil.

For variations, I sometimes add one cube of chicken broth (don't add the salt if you do, as most cubed broths are very salty), or one to two teaspoons of powdered curry. Makes great curry rice.

[45 2.1]

Thank you all.

[MT Gianni]

A Japenese fellow I knew 30 years ago always was sure to rinse his first to float off anything that might be there. He used his rice cooker and claimed that the crusty stuff stuck to the sides was like their bread. He ate our rice cooked on a stove top but always offered to bring rice when they came over. Gianni.

[Beerd]

I find that if I fry (saute?) brown rice first, it takes about half the time to boil soft.
..

[Bigscot]

I learned this from Justin Wilson. (I guarantee).

Put however much rice you want to cook in a pot. Add water until the rice is covered to a depth equal to the first joint of your middle finger. (Fingernail end)
Add salt and oil/butter as desired. Bring to a boil and boil until the water is at the same level as the rice. Cover, reduce heat to lowest setting and let sit for about 20 mins. The rice turns out as Justin calls it "independant rice...every grain stands apart".

Been cooking rice like this for years. People can't believe I can cook rice without measuring anything.

Bigscot

[flhroy]

Ric, same procedure but instead of using water blend up some tomatoes up in the food processer and use that for your liquid. Now you have Spanish Rice. Personally I like the sticky rice like MT Gianni's Japanese Friend. Make it easier to get a mouthfull when using those little sticks.

[waksupi]

flhroy, I will definitely give that one a try!

[jonk]

I usually use a rice steamer. Not that I can't cook it in a pot- far from it- but it takes all the guesswork out. Dump in 1/2 cup rice, 3/4 cup water (the rest of the 2:1 ratio mentioned above comes from the steam) and if desired a little butter or olive oil. Fill the water reservoir below, turn on 35 minutes, and walk away.

If I DO use a pot, I find that using a broad based pot rather than a tall narrow one is best. But my method differs a bit from above; I mix the rice and cold water, then just turn on simmer, cover, and walk away. Don't stir. When there is no more water visible OVER the rice- even if a bit runny- turn off the heat, let sit 10 minutes.

[Whaump 'em]

The Japanese seem to be very particular how their rice is cooked. Imagine rinsing it three times then soaking your rice eighteen hours in water, putting it on cheesecloth in a bamboo steamer for 17 minutes.
That's about nineteen hours, but I can understand why Uncle Ben's isn't a big seller there.