Consuming an average of four pounds of rice a person per year, we Americans do not treat that grain as the staff of life the way most of the people of the world do.
In some Asian countries people consume as much as 100 times more rice than we do. The irony is that our country is the fifth largest rice producer in the world. So it seems to me this ancient grain, so versatile and plentiful, deserves more of our attention.
I feel fortunate because when I was growing up, we had a Chinese-trained Japanese cook named Kashi who served rice as often as she served any other starch. Rice, potatoes and wheat (in the form of pasta or noodles) held equal billing in our household, and I grew up loving them all. This triumvirate
–along with corn–represents the major foodstuffs of the world. But rice, in my opinion, holds first place when it comes to culinary versatility.
TYPES OF RICE
There are many types of rice, but we are used to only a few of them. The most obvious distinctions are white, brown and wild.
White rice is milled brown rice. That is, the outer coating–the bran and the germ along with most of the food value and flavor–has been removed. The remaining white kernel is mainly the starch.
Most of the white rice we buy has been enriched; but as the late Adele Davis used to say about white bread, this ”enrichment” is really a con job: They take away 90 percent of the value, return 10 percent, then call it enriched. I prefer the nutty, rich taste of brown rice, but sometimes the more neutral flavor of white rice is desired.
Wild rice is a different grain altogether, grown only in the U.S. and China. It can be cooked similarly to brown rice and, because of its unique earthy flavor, is often featured with meats, poultry and game. It has twice the protein and half the calories of white rice.
Beyond the obvious, there are more subtle distinctions.
— Long-grain rice tends to separate in cooking, remaining firm, light and fluffy. This type of rice is best for curries and salads and in Chinese cooking.
— Medium-grain rice tends to be softer and stickier when cooked. This is the type of rice the Japanese prefer.
— Short-grain rice, stickier than medium-grain, is the softest. This type, therefore, is good for desserts, croquettes, molded dishes, pilafs and risottos.
— Glutinous rice (often labeled ”sweet” rice, but it can be used for both sweet and savory dishes) is also short-grained, and it`s the stickiest. The Chinese use it for stuffings and desserts.
COOKING RICE
It always surprises me that so many of our beginning students seem to think there`s some mystery to cooking rice. There are indeed many ways of cooking rice, but most of them are quite simple. The following method is, I think, the simplest way. This rice is excellent tossed with butter and minced herbs, such as tarragon, chives or basil.
BOILED RICE
Preparation time: 2 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Cold water–as much as if you were cooking pasta, about 4 to 6 quarts
Salt, about 1 tablespoon per quart of water
Long-grained rice, about 1/4 cup per person
1. Heat the water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the salt to the water, then the rice in a steady stream, keeping the water boiling. Cook, uncovered, about 15 minutes (30 minutes for brown rice).
2. Taste for doneness. Bite into a grain. It should be slightly firm but not hard in the center. Immediately strain through a sieve and serve at once. HOW TO HOLD RICE
There are several ways of holding rice once it`s cooked. First, if you need to hold it for several hours or you plan to serve it cold, place the just-cooked rice in a colander and pour cold water over it until it reaches room temperature. To reheat, place in a buttered, covered serving dish and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven approximately 20 minutes (or at 250 degrees for up to 30 minutes).
Alternatively, place the rice-filled sieve in a large pot containing several inches of water. Place a towel over the top of the rice, and bring the water in the pot to a boil, not allowing the water to touch the rice. Stir the rice from time to time to keep the bottom layer from oversteaming.
Kashi taught our family to prepare rice in the following poetic manner:
KASHI`S STEAMED RICE
1. Wash the rice 15 times in cold water, changing the water with each rinse until the water runs clear.
2. Put the rice in a saucepan large enough to hold three times the quantity of the uncooked rice. Make a ”mountain” of the rice in the saucepan, so the rice mounds in the center.
3. Add enough cold water to the saucepan just to cover the rice but leaving ”the top seven grains” out of the water.
4. Cover the saucepan, and without ever peeking, bring the water to the boil. When the lid ”begins to dance,” turn the heat down as low as possible and cook 15 minutes.
5. Turn the heat off and allow the rice to sit another 10 minutes, after which you can remove the lid.
A more modern–and abbreviated–version of this recipe is as follows: Add one part long-grain white rice to two parts cold water. Bring both to a boil over high heat, then lower heat, cover tightly and cook 20 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the rice lightly before serving.
Sometimes mistakenly confused with risotto, a pilaf is a lovely way of cooking rice. In making pilaf, the long-grain rice is initially sauteed, which gives it a lot of character, then stock is added, all at once, for extra flavor. (With a true Italian risotto, short-grain rice is used, and the liquid is added in stages.)
RICE PILAF
Four servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
2 to 4 tablespoons minced shallots or onions
3 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or safflower oil
1 cup long-grain rice
2 cups boiling liquid, preferably a good stock
Bouquet garni of a few fresh parsley stems, 1 bay leaf and 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, tied in cheesecloth, optional
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a 3- to 4-quart casserole, saute the shallots or onions in the butter or oil (or a combination), stirring slowly for 3 to 5 minutes until translucent but not brown.
2. Add the rice and continue stirring about 2 to 3 minutes or until the grains turn a milky color.
3. Add the hot liquid all at once (plus the bouquet garni, if desired). Heat to a simmer, stir to dislodge any sticking grains, cover and place in the oven for 18 minutes.
4. Uncover rice and tilt the pot to see if all the liquid has been absorbed. If not, cook another few minutes.
Note: For firm pilaf, uncover and serve immediately. For more tender rice, leave covered another 20 to 30 minutes. Discard bouquet garni before serving.
A beautiful crown of rice is perfect for a buffet table, and it is very easy to make. It`s attractive by itself or as a ”bowl” containing something else.
CROWN OF RICE
Four servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Rice pilaf made with 2 cups of rice, see recipe above
4 cups of water
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
1. Butter a 6-cup ring mold. Pat the rice into the mold lightly, filling it to the top.
2. Place wax paper over the mold and set in a pan of hot or boiling water for 10 minutes in a 350-degree oven.
3. Remove the wax paper and turn a serving platter upside down over the mold. Reverse the two to unmold the rice ring onto the platter. Garnish top of rice ring with minced parsley.
FOR BREAKFAST TRY CALAS
In this country, rice is most popular in our southern states, and one of the most unusual rice dishes developed in this country is calas from New Orleans. A type of deep-fried rice ball served with syrup, they are a wonderful change from waffles and pancakes.
CALAS
Three to six servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
1 1/2 quarts boiling water
1 cup uncooked rice, preferably medium or short grain
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
4 tablespoons sugar
Vegetable oil for deep frying
1. Add rice to boiling water, and cook about 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Drain and cool by rinsing in cold water.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together and set aside.
3. Beat eggs with sugar till pale yellow, stir in rice and coat well, then whisk in flour mixture in 1/4 cup amounts.
4. With wet hands, shape into 3-inch balls. Fry in deep fat (350 degrees) until brown, about 8 minutes. Drain, sprinkle with confectioners` sugar and serve hot, with cane syrup.
