Let me preface this recipe by saying I LOVE RICE! I don’t know if it’s the Hispanic in me or what but I’ve always said I hope my last meal is rice, beans, fried chicken and tostones. Now not all rice was created equally, there are various types of rice but in my book the Holy Grail of rice is the dreaded medium grain white rice. I say dreaded because I don’t know anyone who’s not Hispanic who reaches for the bag of medium grain when they are grocery shopping. I am not a fan of the long grain, especially long grain white; it’s just weird to me. Here I’m going to reach you how to make medium grain rice, without a rice cooker (I’m side eyeing some of you). Hopefully this adds to your recipe index, and you can pull out and make whenever the craving for rice hits you.
Note: I have no issue with a rice cooker, but I want you know how to make rice in the unlikely event our appliances decides to rise up against us one day in the battle of mankind vs. machines.
Rice
Water
Salt
Oil (you can use whatever oil you currently have at your disposal, I’m a fan of olive or vegetable)
Wash you rice. Don’t look at me that way, when I say wash your rice it doesn’t mean with soap and water. In a fine mesh strainer like the one pictured, place you rice and run warm water over, while turning. *see video*
Place your rinsed rice in a large pot and cover with water. Add salt, oil and stir. With your stove on medium high heat, cover and sit for 15 minutes, DO NOT OPEN THE POT.
The key to cooking rice is to allow the steam to do its job; constantly opening the pot will lose steam and cause your rice to not cook evenly. After 15 minutes, open the pot and turn your rice, scrape rice off sides of the pot and into the center, with your fire on low and cover again and let stand for 5 minutes, after 5 turn the fire off, do not open the pot, let stand an additional 5 before opening and fluffing your rice.
Love Always,
Nina