How to Cook Rice

I’m always surprised by how many people use stuff like Minute Rice, which has never really even tasted like rice to me. I guess in a pinch it would be all right, but even plain white rice made the conventional way has more flavor and bite.

Over the holidays, we were making food for a big feast of black-eyed peas, greens and the usual New Year's fare. Three batches of rice were ruined before someone finally got it right. Two of those batches were attempted in a Cuisinart rice cooker. I say just throw it on the stove and save your counter space for a better appliance.

So rice is one of those 2:1 grains. You need twice as much water as uncooked grain and you end up with that much cooked product. So, for 2 cups of cooked rice, you need 2 cups of water and 1 cup of uncooked rice grains.

For plain white rice, I rinse the rice till the water runs clear, then I add the rice and water to a pan with a pat of butter or a tiny bit of oil and I bring it to a boil. Once it’s boiling, I lower the heat to almost low (where it’s barely simmering) and put the lid on and set the timer for 20 minutes. Don’t take the lid off while it’s cooking. Period. Never do it.

At 20 minutes, I let it sit for a few minutes and then I fluff it with a fork and serve or use in whatever dish I’m making. Make sure you fluff it, too, or you’ll just end up with a giant brick of rice.

For variety, you can use chicken, beef or vegetable stock instead of water to add some flavor.

For brown rice, the instructions are just the same but it will take twice as long (about 40 minutes) to cook. Brown rice is much better for you, much less processed and I think it’s tastier. The grains have way more texture and bite than plain white rice.