Brown Rice, Pilaf Style

From the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis

Introduction

To be honest, not one of us has ever particularly liked steamed brown rice because its texture always seemed mushy. But brown rice is a healthy, high-fiber type of rice because the bran layer is still attached. Thus we felt compelled to develop a recipe that would make the rice more texturally interesting. Borrowing from the method in which pilaf is cooked, we tried sautéing the rice in oil before adding water. Voila! Brown rice with good texture and taste.

Ingredients

Steps

1. Place rice in medium bowl and add enough water to cover rice. Use your hand to “wash” the rice by swishing it around in the water. Drain water. Repeat this washing until the water runs clear, usually 2 additional times. Drain well and set aside.
2. Heat a heavy 2½-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add oil. Tilt pan to spread oil, then add the washed rice. Sauté, stirring constantly, until rice is well coated with oil, about 3 minutes. Add the 2¼ cups water and salt to pan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and let the rice cook for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately or keep warm until ready to serve. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Variation with onion.

1. Use an additional tablespoon of oil and sauté ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion for 3 minutes before adding the rice. See Basmati Rice Pilaf Cook’s Notes for additional seasoning suggestions.

Notes

• To increase quantities follow these proportions: Use 2 1/4 cups water for the first cup of dry rice, then add 1 3/4 cups water for each additional cup of rice.
• You will see both short- and long-grain brown rice on the grocer’s shelf; we prefer the long grain, but decide for yourself.
• Use chicken, beef, or vegetable stock instead of water in the recipe.

This content is from the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis.