Rice

The Rice I Use

There are lots of different varieties of rice. The ones I use most for bowls are brown rice, basmati and black (or forbidden) rice. I keep arborio in my cupboard for risotto and bomba for paella.

Consulting an Expert

Now, I’m no expert on rice; I’m not an expert on anything. I’m a learner. So, when I sit down to write about anything, I like to look to the people who are experts, so I don’t write stuff that is well, just wrong.

In his encyclopedic cookbook, The Wok: Recipes and Techniques, Kenji López-Alt has an entire section devoted to rice. And I read it. Twice. What I came away with is that there are lots of ways to cook rice, and the right way is the way that works for you. So, this is the way that works for me.

Steps

The steps to cooking rice are simple:

1. 1. Measure and rinse the rice
   2. Season it if you like (I almost never season my rice)
   3. Bring it to a boil
   4. Cover it and simmer it without lifting the lid
   5. Let it rest for 10 minutes

He and I agree on everything except cooking time. He recommends simmering rice for 10 minutes. My rice never gets done if I simmer it for only 10 minutes, so I simmer for 20. Maybe it’s my stove. Or maybe it’s the shape of my pot. Experiment and see what works for you.

Rinsing Rice

I generally cook 1 cup of rice for the two of us. While Kenji rinses his under running water using a sieve, I usually dump mine into the pot I will cook in and run water over it and swish it with my hand and pour off water a couple of times until the water is clear. Then I drain off as much water as I can and add the water to cook.

Because this method leaves a little more water in the rice than rinsing with a sieve does, I adjust how much water I add to cook. It works for me. He is very precise about his measurement. Me, not so much.

Rice to Water Ratios

Kenji has a helpful chart showing ratios of water to rice for different varieties of rice, so I will borrow that idea to show you the ratios for the rice I cook, keeping in mind that there is already a little water in my pot from the rinse.

Cover and Simmer

Bring your pot of rice to a good boil over high heat, and then turn the heat to low, cover it and set a timer. For Kenji, that’s 10 minutes. For me, it’s 20.

What is important at this stage is that you don’t lift the lid to see how things are going. What happens if you do? Your rice loses steam and often sticks to the bottom of the pan. Don’t do it.

Which means you have to wait until after the rest to find out if you got it right. This was really frustrating for me when I was trying to get the cooking time right for my situation because I would simmer for 10 minutes, rest for 10 minutes, then open the pot and find that there was still a lot of water in the bottom and the rice was still hard! So, the next time I cooked rice, I tried simmering for 15 minutes and resting for 10. Better, but still some water and the rice still wasn’t cooked all the way.

Rest for 10 Minutes

During the rest, the rice will continue to cook and absorb water. So again, don’t lift the lid. Set a timer and wait.

I lift the lid and check the rice when the timer goes off. I tip it to make sure there is no water at the bottom and taste a couple of kernels of rice to make sure they are done.

There is no problem at this point putting the lid back on and letting the rice rest longer while you get the rest of your meal together. If you are going to make it into a salad or fry it, though, take off the lid and allow it to cool and dry a bit. 

Mediterranean Rice with Sundried Tomatoes and Feta