04.30.09

Rice Rice Baby…

Posted in Grains, Rice at 12:30 pm by cecilia

米 – Riz – Riso – رُزّ . أَرُزّ . تُمَّن – Arroz – Oriza – Oryza – 쌀

Coming from an Asian culture, I’m no stranger to rice. Chinese people can turn this simple grain into a myriad of shapes and forms for all kinds of occasions - steamed rice, stir-fried rice, rice noodles, rice porridge, rice noodle rolls with meat or vegetables inside, rice cakes, rice flour, sticky rice, rice wine, the list goes on. In fact, rice is synonymous with food and people’s well-being when it comes to a common Chinese greeting literally translated to “Have you eaten rice yet?” In many cultures, rice is also a symbol of fertility. Did you know that rice is completely hypoallergenic and gluten-free? It’s such a universal staple food that I can’t think of one major civilization that doesn’t have rice in their cuisine in one form or another.

Steamed plain rice is one of those things I have perfected over the last 30 years, ever since my mom insisted that I was old enough to be responsible for cooking rice almost every night while I watched her perform her magic in the kitchen. For those of you who would like to become rice masters, or who simply want to branch out from Uncle Ben or Chinese take-outs, here are my tips and techniques to producing some soft fluffy cooked rice at home.

1. Use long-grain or medium-grain rice – for example Jasmine or Basmati.
2. Rinse the rice once or twice.
3. In general, use 1-1/4 cups of water for 1 cup of white rice. The water must be cool. If you prefer softer rice, or if you’re using brown rice, add just a little more like 2-3 Tbsp of water. If you feel adventurous and want to reap the health benefits of brown rice as well as the softness of white rice, try mixing both.
4. The best tool to use is an electric rice cooker. If you have one, add the rice and water in it. And you’re practically done. Just wait for the cooker to do its thing.
5. If you don’t have a rice cooker, choose a medium saucepan, preferably a deeper one rather than the opposite. Add the rice and water, and turn the heat on medium-high to high. Caution: keep an eye on it because the rice water foams up when it starts to boil. When that happens, turn down the heat (to low) immediately. For electric stove, you might need to get an adjacent burner ready on low heat and transfer the saucepan over when the water starts to boil. Why all this trouble? Because we don’t want to lose the fluid when it boils over, leaving the rice dry and uncooked in the end.
6. Avoid opening the lid during cooking. Let it cook.
7. When all the liquid seems to have been absorbed, taste a few grains from the top to test for softness.
8. When serving, scoop out the rice and avoid stirring it up. Keep it covered. It’ll stay moist longer in case someone wants a second or third serving.

Mochi
In Japan, rice is consumed in many ways as well. Japanese enjoy plain rice with a variety of savory toppings. Sushi, rice with tea, and fried rice are all Japanese favorites. They also drink rice wine called sake, and eat rice snacks such as senbei (rice crackers) and agemochi (fried sticky rice puffs). Speaking of mochi, the process of making this rice treat the traditional way is quite entertaining.

Risotto
Moving on to the other side of the globe, Italy is the largest rice producer in Europe. But ironically, Italians don’t eat that much rice compared to some other countries. After all, they have a much bigger love affair with pasta.

Nonetheless, Italy is indisputably famous for its risotto, along with Arborio which is one of the rice varieties Italians use in their creamy rice dish. Carnaroli, on the other hand, is the other cultivar that is more expensive and harder to find. It is best used for more delicate risotto dishes that feature truffles or saffron. Other than the flavors, the characteristics to look for in a risotto is the creaminess and texture of the rice. I personally prefer a slight chewiness, not to be mistaken with the dry crunchy feel which indicates an under-cooked rice.

My suggestions to a perfect risotto:

1. Keep these ingredients handy at home – Arborio or Carnaroli rice, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, frozen peas, onions, and low-sodium broth.
2. Rule of thumb: 1 cup of rice per 2 hungry diners.
3. Never rinse the rice for this dish. The starch is what makes risotto creamy.
4. You will be busy stirring once you start cooking the rice, so prep everything else before dealing with the rice. i.e. Heat up the broth (4 cups per 1 cup of rice to be used), prepare and partially cook the seafood or meat, chop the onions, thaw the frozen peas or boil and drain the fresh peas, grate the cheese, whatever you want in the risotto, etc.
5. Sauté the onions with a good olive oil and/or butter depending on your preference. Season it well.
6. When the onions are softened, add the rice and stir for about 3 minutes. Coat the rice with the oil. Add a little more oil if needed. The oil helps slow down the absorption of broth later on and allows the starch to release evenly.
7. Do NOT burn the rice. You should be able to see a translucent outer layer with a white center.
8. At this point, I usually add my secret ingredient which is a fortified wine like Sherry or Marsala. I find that 2-3 Tbsp of this will deglaze the bottom of the pan and introduce an added layer of flavor in the final product. The alcohol will be cooked off when done.
9. Add the gently simmering broth to the rice, 1 ladle at a time. Carefully stir the rice until the liquid is almost completely absorbed. Before the rice dries out, add another ladle of broth. Repeat this step until you almost run out of broth. Remember, you should have 4 cups of hot broth available per 1 cup of rice. This process could easily take at least 30 minutes. Be patient, it’s a good arm workout, but it’s worth it.
10. Taste a few grains for tenderness and seasoning. The rice should be creamy and tender but firm in the center. At this point, add the rest of the cooked ingredients such as seafood, meat, vegetables, mushrooms, cheese, etc. and heat everything thoroughly.
11. Final touches: To prevent the risotto from getting dry, you can reserve a little broth to stir in right before serving. Also, if you’re making a mushroom risotto, try drizzling a few drops of truffle oil on top when plating. I personally don’t add grated Parmi to seafood risotto. But for other kinds of risotto, I like a generous helping of this salty and tasty cheese grated on my rice.
12. Enjoy immediately.

Paella
If I haven’t lost you yet and you’re still reading, you must be a rice-lover. Or I’m just an awesome blogger. I wouldn’t conclude this article without mentioning this next rice destination. Second to Italy in rice production in Europe is Spain. Calasparra is the quality identification for the southernmost rice growing region in Spain.

Bomba is the very best Calasparra from Murcia. The grain is smaller than other Calasparra varieties. In fact, its short length makes it look like little bombs, hence the name.

It retains its body and bite while absorbing three times its volume in liquid and expands in width rather than length. Yet the grains remain distinct. This makes it a perfect rice for paella, a Spanish rice dish that has gained significant popularity even outside of Spain over the years. More difficult to grow than other varieties, Bomba can be hard to find in the U.S. and even in Spain. If you don’t have time to locate Bomba rice, other paella rice is usually carried in most gourmet shops.

Interestingly, the Spanish word “arroz” came from the Arab word رُزّ . أَرُزّ . تُمَّن. The custom of eating rice was introduced to the Spaniards by the Moorish over a millennium ago. The Moorish even built the irrigation systems that lead the cool mountain water to the rice fields. You didn’t know you would learn something new about history from a food blog, did you?

In my opinion, there’s no ultimate recipe for paella. Everyone has a different palate and different preferences. I do offer private cooking parties to create my favorite versions of paella (with meat, seafood, or just veggies). I try to use authentic ingredients and adopt most of the traditional techniques in an indoor setting. I have to forgo using an open flame outdoor fueled by pine branches and pine cones for now. Before we get to cook this delightful rice dish together, let me share a few tips with you (note that this is not a complete set of instructions):

• Use a paellera or a large shallow pan. This allows more heat to reach the rice mixture more quickly and evenly. Always start with a high heat.

• Use the best broth you can find. (Perhaps I should save a whole posting for home-made broths in the future.) The broth should be piping hot when added to the rice.

• There’s no need to rinse the rice before cooking.

• Ingredient must-have’s: tomatoes, saffron, pimentón (wood-smoked paprika), garlic, olive oil, and Bomba (preferably) or paella short grain rice. Everything else can vary.

• After stirring the broth and seasoning etc. into the rice mixture, reduce to a medium heat and leave it alone. A thin film will form on top of the rice, creating an enclosed environment to steam the rice. Stirring that will drastically slow down the cooking process and leave the rice under-cooked.

• You know it’s done when you hear a subtle crackling sound from the bottom of the pan, and you detect a slight burning smell. That’s the delicious crispy layer in the making called socarrat which is a delicacy. Remove the paellera from the heat and let it absorb the rest of the liquid. Serve in 5 minutes.

There are so many more rice dishes around the world. Why don’t you share your favorite rice recipes? Your comments and feedback will be so much appreciated.

Eat well and be healthy!

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