Essentials: Rice

Serious Eats Essentials

Posted by Robin Bellinger, April 11, 2008 at 12:30 PM

A few years ago at a family meal my dad randomly launched into a lengthy panegyric to rice. He does this sometimes—proclaims a deep but previously unvoiced passion—and my mother, sister, and I roll our eyes at the poor outnumbered guy in our family and keep talking about shoes or Martha Stewart or whatever. At the time I thought, How can anyone get excited about rice? It doesn’t taste like anything.

Now I’ve come to see the wisdom of my father’s palate, and if I weren't scared of getting fat I’d eat white rice several times a week, with Indian food, soy sauce and vegetables, or naked but for a pat of butter. Why didn’t dad eat a lot of rice in college, I wonder now. One of his stock stories is how he could subsist for weeks at a time on canned tomato soup when he was putting himself through school, when he would have to sit at a bar and watch his buddies drink beer because he couldn’t afford to buy one for himself. Sometimes for a treat he would eat jelly. So why didn’t he buy himself a big old bag of rice and feast on that? Is it possible that he was scared to cook it?

In my experience, fear of rice cookery is a surprisingly common affliction. A friend of mine, one of the most accomplished and confident cooks I know, refuses to make white rice. When I was first feeding myself, I didn’t even try to make it because I had heard was complicated; I relied on parboiled, plastic-bagged rice in a box. Once I got my confidence up and made a pot of regular, long-grain white rice, I discovered that…it isn’t hard at all. In fact, it was perfect every time. What was everyone talking about? I puffed up a little. I got cocky.

Eventually, my future husband and I began one of those great New York love affairs in which real estate plays a disproportionately large role. Soon—much sooner than I would have been anywhere else in the country—I was living and cooking in his apartment, where, I was chagrined to discover, I was incapable of cooking rice. It was as if I had forgotten how to ride a bicycle. I mean, I made perfectly serviceable dinners, moan-inducing desserts, and my first cinnamon rolls in that kitchen, but I never made a successful pot of rice, a fact that inspired merciless teasing. This was all the more maddening because Andrew’s rice was perfect every time, even though he just eyeballed the quantities and frequently forgot that it was on the stove until well past the point at which it should have been ruined.

Did my success reside in the cheap saucepan, now in storage, that I had bought at a grocery store during college? Was I cursed by performance anxiety after the first few failures? The mystery was never solved. But when we moved into a new apartment, I got my rice mojo back immediately.

Are you scared of cooking rice? And do you have a foolproof method for brown rice? Because my brown rice is still pretty hit or miss, and I could use some advice. Sometimes it’s perfectly cooked, chewy and delicious; sometimes it’s half mushy and half raw, or unpleasantly crispy. Help!

About the author: Robin Bellinger recently escaped a career in book publishing, which was cutting into her cooking time. Now she's a freelance editor and can bake bread on Tuesday afternoon if she feels like it. She lives in Midtown Manhattan with her husband and blogs about cooking and crafting at home*economics.

Long-Grain White Rice

- serves 3-4 as a side -

I can’t remember where I learned this method, but it works every time, unless someone has put a rice curse on you. There’s only one trick to this in my kitchen, which is that the simmering must happen on one of the less powerful burners. The most powerful burner is too hot even at the lowest setting.

Ingredients

1 cup long-grain white rice
1 3/4 cup water
Pinch of salt
Glug of olive oil

Procedure

Combine all ingredients (I don’t bother to rinse the rice) in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a simmer. As soon as the water reaches a lively simmer, give everything a good stir, cover the pot, and lower the heat as much as possible. After 15 minutes, turn off the burner, remove the pot from the heat, and let it sit for at least 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork and serving.

26 Comments | Tags: gluten-free, grains, rice, Serious Eats Essentials, vegetarian

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26 Comments:

I've never had any problems cooking rice - any kind - wild, brown, white, etc. Perhaps b/c I'm Chinese and cooking rice is in my blood. :) For brown rice, to me it's pretty fool-proof - I usually do it on the stovetop; 1 part brown rice to 2 parts water; combine all in a saucepan and let it come to a boil, turn the heat to low, put the lid on, and come back in 40-45 minutes to perfectly cooked rice ... I also have a rice cooker, which is super fool-proof. :)

mrsbao at 12:48PM on 04/11/08

Today I rely on my rice cooker, for better or worse, but when I was studying abroad and rice cooker-less, I learned how to do it on the stove top. First try was disastrous: too much water, ended up with mushy goo. Second time was better, but the bottom layer of rice got burny. Next time I used the absolute lowest setting, as you said in your procedure, and YAY, VICTORY! I also wrapped the lid in a towel to soak up condensation, although I don't know if that makes a huge difference...

Anyhoo, now I just push the "cook" button on my rice cooker. ;_;

roboppy at 1:02PM on 04/11/08

I was always taught that you should fry the rice briefly in that glug of oil to 'crack' the grains. I'm not sure what exactly this achieves, perhaps opening up the hard outside a touch faster? In support of this, I find that rice only takes about 10 mins to cook...

sarahdlr at 1:04PM on 04/11/08

I've never had a problem cooking rice. It may be due to a trick I was taught a hundred years ago (for gas stoves) To make sure the heat is low enough, put two burner tops on over the flame, and put the pot there. Works like a charm and has never failed me.

chisai at 1:09PM on 04/11/08

My mom converted the extended family to cooking rice in a pressure cooker, and not one of us has looked back since -- takes the guesstimate and luck factors out of getting perfectly fluffy rice every time =) Having said that, over-watered mushy rice can be salvaged by adding broth for porridge. Ditto under-watered crispy rice!

onedaylingers at 1:23PM on 04/11/08

I never have problems with cooking rice, I use a rice cooker (it was the first kitchen appliance I ever got. Essential to any chinese child moving out of their parent's home). I was taught the water needs to be one finger bend above the rice...which for strange reason always work regardless of the size of the rice cooker.
My mom started cooking rice on the stovetop after us kids moved out (her rice cooker was too big for just two people). She uses one of those corningware cassole thingees on the stop top. It's perfect everytime, and the rice does this weird standing up thing on the top. We would NEVER use oil or put any sort of seasoning in the the rice.
I think cracking the grains help release the gluten, which you would want if making rissotto.
My dad has to have rice for dinner. He is the nicest guy in the world, but if he doesn't get his rice, he is grumpy.

gnomatic at 1:50PM on 04/11/08

When I was in Thailand a few years ago and staying with some local friends, they also taught me the method of putting in enough water to get to the first bend in your finger. I've done it ever since and it always turns out right....in a pan or rice cooker. I don't really measure the rice. Just throw in a few handfuls and then put in enough water (with my finger lightly on top of the rice) until it reaches the first knuckle. Don't know why, but it works.

rsmouse at 2:10PM on 04/11/08

I use a pressure cooker to cook my brown rice. It turns out PERFECT every time. Highly recommended.

smclean at 2:24PM on 04/11/08

I use a pressure cooker too - have for years, but I've got to be honest, I don't think it makes the best rice. White rice tends to be very clumpy and NOT fluffy. Brown rice is better, in fact brown rice does just fine in the pressure cooker.

(I'm not Chinese and I don't have a rice cooker.)

robos at 2:59PM on 04/11/08

My old foolproof method was put a ton of water in a pot and bring to a boil, throw in rice and cook for 12 minutes, drain and let sit, fluff. Found that on the side of a box of thai rice which included 4 different methods. My new foolproof method is even better, use a rice cooker. Since my wife is Indonesian it was pretty much a must buy so that we can make tons of rice all the time and it's always yummy (oh, and I recommend a fancy one with "fuzzy" logic and a ton of buttons. not sure why it's better but it makes much better rice than the simple one-button varieties, IMHO)

seadkdc at 3:07PM on 04/11/08

I second the pressure cooker comment. Fast and perfect every time.

darbyalycen206 at 3:09PM on 04/11/08

For brown rice, Alton Brown's recipe for baking works wonders. I'd link to it, but I'd have to go to the Food Network site. And then I'd have nightmares. With Giada's disembodied gaping maw and manhands seizing upon me...

What was I saying? Oh, yeah. Buy a rice cooker.

pomme at 3:17PM on 04/11/08

i've always done the finger-bend measurement for my rice too! a friend the other day said he was scared to make rice and didn't know how to do that and when i told him my method he looked at me like i was crazy. but, i learned it from my chinese mom :-) now, i'm married, my husband is mexican and i need to learn how to make his aunt's amazing rice and beans.

billyburgwife at 4:22PM on 04/11/08

I've grown up eating and cooking extra long grain white rice, but I now use a lot of brown basmati and this method works beautifully for both. (Individual grains, not clumps, of rice.)

It's pretty close to Robin's recipe, except for the oil and that I do rinse the rice.

Rinse and drain rice until water runs clear.

1 part rice to 1.75 parts water or stock
pinch or two of salt

Combine pot, stir, bring to boil. Stir, turn down heat to low and cover. Cook 20 mins. Let rest 5 mins. Fluff prior to serving.

My older relatives had a method involve putting a finger in the pot and pouring water up to the first (or was it second?) finger joint. I never quite picked it up, though!

GumbeauxGal at 4:26PM on 04/11/08

HAHA! I meant "Combine IN pot"!

***Disclaimer -- There is no pot in my rice!***

Ah, I now see that billyburgwife uses the finger bend method!

GumbeauxGal at 4:29PM on 04/11/08

Rice is best naked with a pat of butter,yummy!

http://organicandnaturalmom.blogspot.com/2008/03/rice-cookers.html

love2cook at 7:24PM on 04/12/08

I've cooked (jasmine) rice since I was a kid - grandma taught me the way of the rice cooked in clay pots, in bamboo, steamed with banana leaves, cooked over a coal fire, over a gas stove. Then we came to the US and we got a rice cooker and it was good. So, I'm not a rice novice, by any means.

Yet...sushi rice. The Japanese short grain, extra gooshy smooshy rice has defeated me. What the heck am I doing wrong? I started w/ a 1-1 ratio but that was too claggy. So I've lessened the water considerably, I've cooked in a rice cooker and on the stove. I've fluffed and fanned per directions. I still get claggy rice. What is up short grain rice? And anyone want most of a 50lb bag of it?

lorelei76 at 10:05AM on 04/13/08

I tend to make boring old medium grain rice. I don't like for there to be anything in my rice when I cook it, and perhaps a pinch of salt afterward. I can always tell when there's butter in white rice, which always annoys me when I go to a restaurant and ask for plain rice. I guess they figure Chinese restaurant in America means no one likes plain rice without butter? Who knows.

GumbeauxGal's method is about the method I use, but I don't add salt to the water and use 1.5 to 1.75 parts water to 1 part rice. I just just a regular 2 or 2.5qt pot for cooking it.

I need to go buy a new bag of rice...

ikimashokie at 4:43PM on 04/13/08

@lorelei76 - for short grain white rice I use 1 cup of rice to 1 1/4 cups cold water. Rinse the rice thoroughly and then let it soak in the water with a 1/4 teaspoon of salt for a half hour. Then bring it to a boil, turn down to the lowest setting and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for another 15 minutes. I find this method works pretty well. The short grain rice is going to be somewhat stickier no matter what you do to it; it's just got that much more starch I think.

Amandarama at 8:22AM on 04/14/08

Amandarama, thank you so much. I will attempt this tonight and see how it turns out. What kind of pot do you use for this? I have a heavy Le Creuset, a stainless steel one (with a thick-ish bottom), and a non-stick. I usually use the stainless steel, with claggy results. Same w/ my magical rice cooker. I don't do the soak (just rinse till clear), so I'm hoping this will solve my problems (I can't make Spam Musubi with mooshy rice!)

I'll make two batches using this recipe and cook on stovetop and in the rice cooker.

lorelei76 at 11:15AM on 04/14/08

lorelei76, I just use my anodized aluminum pan (2 qt. maybe?). I hope this method works out for you!

Amandarama at 12:02PM on 04/14/08

I used to do the pot method and someone bought me a rice cooker (i used to think that this appliance was a joke).... but I'm totally convinced its the ONLY way to go!

Knotmeg at 9:07AM on 04/16/08

I never bought a rice cooker because I have a problem buying single use items of that size. I'm sure rice cookers can do more, but the name scares me off. I use a 1 to 2 ratio of water to rice. Cup of rice, two cups of water, bring to a boil, add salt, oil or butter if using, stir well, cover, turn heat to low and cook 20 minutes. Turn heat off, open top and quickly fluff, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. If you do the above with a clean kitchen towel over the pot before you put on the lid you'll get a drier more single grain result. By the way, if using stainless steel pots you should wait until you get a boil before adding salt. Unless completely dissolved in water the salt will pit your pot bottoms.

Jimjam at 11:47AM on 04/16/08

I second the Alton Brown baked brown rice. Delicious, even according to my husband, who resents the idea of healthy rice.

Has anyone ever tried to make risotto with brown rice? I have made it with plain old Uncle Ben's instead of Arborio, but never tried the brown. I use the recipe in the old Joy of Cooking - I think it's called "Italian Rice"...

akk328 at 1:26PM on 04/16/08

If you have a flame-tamer, put that on burner first. Put 1 part brown rice to 1 3/4 parts water and salt in a stainless steel saucepan. Without covering with a lid, bring water to a boil until bubbles appear through the rice and water is at same level as rice. (Surface will appear 'pock-marked'.) I

Immediately turn down to low, cover and cook 20-30 minutes. Check to make sure rice isn't sticking to bottom. This will NOT jinx the rice cooking technique. Fluff rice gently with a fork. Remove from burner and let sit 5-10 minutes before serving. This is an unconventional method that Bonnie Stern, Canadian culinary maven advocates and it works. I confess I most often use my rice cooker, one of my favourite appliances. I've downsized to a smaller rice cooker since my children left home.

The same method works for white rice but the ratio is 1 part rice to 2 parts water.

Raki5 at 9:30PM on 04/17/08

I love good rice! I noticed several entries that mentioned cooking rice in a pressure cooker. I recently inherited my Dad's old Mirro and I would love to try it for my next rice cooking. Could someone please describe how to do it in a pressure cooker? Thanks!

FltAttendt at 9:03AM on 05/11/08

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