FOOLPROOF WHITE RICE

If you want nice, fluffy, properly cooked white rice without sticking or clumping and you don’t have a $160 Zojirushi rice cooker, then give this method a try. Of course, your Instantpot can also be used to cook rice, but maybe you don’t want to drag that big thing out. Also, the pressure cooker can tend to over cook rice. So…here is what I do and, yes, it is foolproof.

Some of the problems you may have had when cooking white rice is sticking, clumping, and overcooking. And no one likes clumpy, overcooked rice. The type of rice you use is up to you, but my go to is Jasmine rice. It is a very fragrant, flavorful, and somewhat forgiving rice that always comes out prefect for me. Any long grain white rice will work. I also use basmati on occasion. For 3-4 serving, start with a good heavy bottomed 2 or 3 quart saucepan. It can be non-stick but the ones I use are stainless steel…and, yes, there is no sticking!

I know the old standard rice cooking method calls for 1 part rice to 2 parts liquid. But, trust me, this works better…1 cups rice to 1 1/2 cups liquid. Take 1 cup of jasmine rice and add it to the saucepan. You can rinse the rice beforehand, but I never do. Add exactly 1 1/2 cups of cold water. Add a pinch of Kosher salt. Bring the water to a boil, turn the heat to low. It’s important at this point to stir the rice. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Give it another stir with a fork then TURN OFF THE HEAT. Set a timer for 10 minutes and go have a glass of wine.

After 10 minutes, give it a check. All the liquid should be gone, if not, cover and let it sit another 2-3 minutes. Fluff with a fork, recover, and get ready to serve. There is never any sticking or clumping and it is done perfectly. I usually add a couple tablespoons of fresh chopped Italian parsley when I fluff it.

Can you use stock? Absolutely. If you want to make it a pilaf, saute some diced shallots and garlic in the saucepan in a little olive oil for a couple minutes before adding the rice for 2 minutes then the liquid. The rest is the same.

Because it is just Loretta and I most of the time, I will often use a 1 quart All-Clad saucepan and cut this recipe in half. It’s perfect for 2 average servings with no leftovers. When I plan to make fried rice the next day, I will bump up the recipe a bit: 1 1/2 cups of rice to 2 1/4 cups of liquid.

Of course, when you are making risotto, the rules change! We’re talking 1 cup (Arborio) rice to 3 1/2 cups liquid (that’s 1/2 cup white wine and 3 cups chicken stock). Plus, with risotto, plan to stand and stir the rice for 30 minutes while gradually adding the stock. The effort you put into risotto is well worth it! I will post my rice and method for an incredible Mushroom Parmesan Risotto soon.