........the rice is first gently sauté in fat, then twice its volume of stock or water is added and cooking is continued until all the liquid is absorbed. It doesn't matter what type of rice, how many vegetables you put into the mixture or don't put into the mixture or what kind of seasonings you like....as long as you sauté the rice in fat and then cook it in stock...you have pilaf!
You can cook pilaf on top of the stove, in the oven or out on your grill...it's all the same. The result is flavored rice.
The trick is allowing the rice to absorb the stock. This stock can be chicken, beef, vegetable, seafood, pineapple juice...what ever floats your boat. Twice the stock to the amount of rice and you are ready for dinner in 20 minutes.
This Chef's Favorite Pilaf..
Makes 3 cups....Serves 4 (easily)
2 T. fat (butter, oil, margarine)
1/2 cup onion, chopped
(any other raw vegetables chopped fine)
1 cup long grain rice
2 cups stock from Redi-Base, of course
parsley, chives, or whatever
Directions: Melt fat in sauce pan that has a tight fitting lid. Add onion and
sauté one minute. Add any other vegetables you might have. Sauté
one minute more. Add rice and stir fry until rice is coated with fat and slightly
browned. Add stock. Stir, cover tightly and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from
heat and allow to set 5 minutes off heat. Serve.
Tips:
1. Lid should be tight fitting so the moisture doesn't escape.
2. If you want to prepare your rice in an over, remove the entire preparation from pan and bake in a lid casserole at 350° for 20 minutes.
3. There is nothing stopping you from taking your sauté pan out to the grill and placing it on the side burner to cook or right on the grill. I have a beat-up pan just for that occasion.
4. Remember: Rice absorbs liquid and flavor. Consider adding curry powder to your stock for curried rice to compliment a chicken dish.
5. Wild rice isn't really rice...so the rules are different. If you want to add wild rice to your dish...you must precook the wild rice and toss it into the pilaf later.
6. I've been known to add pasta (such as orzo) along with the rice at the sauté stage. Or, if all ready cooked from last night's dinner.....toss it into the pilaf when the pilaf is finished.
7. Great way to use up leftovers....seafood, chicken, beef, etc. Toss into your finished pilaf and you've made your own Uncle Ben's Rice Bowls.
and last but not least....
8. When you open one of those packaged rice boxes, sauté the rice in whatever and add the seasoning packet...What did you think was in that seasoning packet? There's no quiz here......it's a soup base with herbs in it! So much for that secret....
In Need of Pilaf Recipes to get you started? Take a look at some of these....
Cooksrecipes.com Pilaf Recipes
2. Wild About Rice
..... the fact is, this is an American home grown product. It is native to North America and grows predominantly in the Great Lakes region. There are four species of wild rice and it has been eaten by people since prehistoric times. Early North American inhabitants used the grain as a staple food and introduced European fur traders to "Manomio", it's Indian name meaning "good berry." Early English explorers called this plant wild rice or Indian rice, while the French saw a resemblance to oats and called it folle avoine. However, wild rice was called everything from water oats to blackbird oats to squaw rice and even marsh oats, but the name "wild rice" stuck.
Prior to 1965, most wild rice in the US was produced in natural stands in lakes and rivers. In the late 60's Uncle Ben, Inc. started contracting acreages which resulted in an organized effort to domesticate this crop using plant breeding.
Today, wild rice is sold almost every where. It is grown in many parts of the US and it's price has become more reasonable.
Cooking wild rice is simple. Add it to water or stock and simmer. Timing is longer...takes about 40 minutes to "pop". When it turns its little kernels inside out, it's done. Can be used by itself or mixed with other foods. Try some of the following recipes.
Cooksrecipes.com Wild Rice Soup
And for further info about Wild Rice, check out:
The California Wild Rice Commission
3. A Roster of Rices....
.......it is just a drop in the rice paddy considering that Asians eat about 300 lb. per person each year.
The following is a quick description of some of the many rice varieties you can easily find.
Long grain rice: is four to five times as long as it is wide. When cooked, the grains tend to stay separate and are light and fluffy.
Medium grain rice: is plump but not round. When cooked, the grains are moister and more tender than long grain.
Short grain rice: is almost round in shape. the grains are softer than the medium or long grain and tend to stick together when cooked; for this reason this variety is good for sushi and rice pudding.
Arborio rice: from Italy's Po Valley is a superior variety used for making risotto. It is a short, shiny, pearly-smooth grain that gradually absorbs hot broth when patiently stirred for 45 minutes.
Basmati rice: is one of the fragrant, aromatic rices from India and Pakistan. It is now grown in Texas and is gaining converts every day. Its long, tender grains and distinctively nutty taste make it the rice of choice for curries and pilafs.
Spanish rice: A medium grain rice grown in Valencia, is the one to select for paella.
Brown rice: is the unpolished grain and retains its valuable bran. A storehouse of good nutrition, it contains both soluble and insoluble fiber and vitamin E, which is believed to strengthen the immune system. Brown rice takes longer to cook than white, but its dense, nutty flavor is worth the wait. Some quick-cooking forms are now available.
Converted (parboiled) rice: Has been steamed and dried prior to removal of the hull and bran. The result is a fluffy rice, with grains that do not stick together, but during the conversion and washing nutrients are lost and must be replaced.
Instant rice: is precooked and dried. The grains are cracked to allow the water to enter so that they cook almost instantly, which is why the taste is disappointing. However, it is predicable, which in times of uncertainly is certainly something.
...Well, you just might say that. It turns out that Alexander P. Anderson, while working on he Ph.D in Munich, became interested in the structure of starch grains. He worked on his theories in Munich, South Carolina and the University of Minnesota. But it was in New York at the NY Botanical Garden. In 1901 and experiment to blast starch granules into powder "back fired" and the result was an enlarged, snow-white mass. The resultes of the experiments on cereal grains were commercial products known as "puffed rice" and "puffed wheat" made from exploding the grains. The pressure chamber that the wheat or rice is put into is called a "gun". Puffed rice was first exhibited at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. In 1902, Dr. Anderson sold his patent and his services to the Quaker Oats Company.
To learn more about the puffed process, go to:
How Grains are Puffed 5. Oh Pho....
The flavor and texture of dried rice noodles benefit from soaking before use in recipes. Soak the needles for 15 or 20 minutes in hot water, then quickly rinse them to wash away excess starch, which would otherwise turn clear soups cloudy. If you started out with the thin rice noodles, no cooking is necessary after soaking. You will find this last statement to be a personal opinion. Every recipe you read regarding rice noodles is different; however, my experience has been that the thin "rice sticks" require only soaking and as the noodle of choice becomes thicken, so does the cooking time. I just avoid the guessing game and go straight to the skinny stuff.
Having said that, my favorite way to eat these little wonders is in Phó. Phó is Vietnamese Beef-Noodle Soup. I have eaten it locally in PA (not too bad) and have had it in Falls Church, Va where it is excellent. It turns out that Falls Church has a large Vietnamese population and it is evident in the local restaurants. The local noodle house that we have frequented with a friend does a Mickey D's business.
Want to try an excellent recipe for Phó...there is only
one place to look:
Soupsong.com
Pho Recipe
Or if you need to brush up on your rice noodle knowledge, take
a look at:
Rice
Noodle Knowledge
More
Rice Noodle Knowledge
Or if you want to dive right into some recipes, take a look
at:
Some
Rice Noodle Recipes
6. Which Rice to Choose...
...That is because I have spent most of those years working in American restaurants. We Americans like our rice separate and fluffy. There have been those rare occasions when making things such as rice pudding that I switch gears and go for the "short stuff". So of course, I think because I know there is a difference in rice, I think everyone knows that....Wrong! My sister Sharon and I are doing one of our marathon phone conversations and she tells me she hates cooking rice dishes because it always sticks together, but she turns out the best rice pudding in town. I think to myself, "Sharon...you have two siblings that are chefs and you are turning out sticky rice...what is wrong with this picture?" That's when it hits me. My sister has been struggling with rice all these years because she has been using short grain rice for her savory rice dishes instead of long grain rice and her rice pudding is perfect because she is using the short grain rice. Should I tell her? Just kidding...of course I told her. Sharon is not only turning out great rice pudding but all the other rice dishes she makes are great also!
The moral of the story: Use long grains and converted rices for fluffy and separate consistency; eg, pilaf. Use short grain rices for cream or sticky consistency; eg, rice pudding, sushi and croquettes.
Can't get enough rice facts. Go to:
The
Rice Cafe