The Amazing World of Rice (11 page)

Persian rice is prepared by a unique technique, slowly cooking the rice in a heavy pan over very low heat until a crust forms on the bottom. Here, the rice is partially cooked on top of the stove and then finished in the oven. That, and using a well-seasoned or nonstick skillet, ensures that the crust will be golden and will slip out of the pan intact when inverted, to make a spectacular presentation. This recipe has become a reliable friend as I have served it repeatedly, always to accompany a grilled leg of lamb. Don't skimp on the clarified butter; it is essential to the success of the dish. (Clarified butter is preferred in this recipe, because the solids or milk proteins in butter burn when subjected to high temperatures.) For another version of Persian-style basmati rice, see Lamb Kebabs on Persian-Style Golden Rice.

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces

2 cups uncooked basmati rice (see Note)

2 teaspoons salt

1 cinnamon stick

3 whole cloves

3 black peppercorns

3 whole cardamom pods

1 cup thinly sliced onions

¼ teaspoon crushed saffron threads

• 1.
  Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat; do not brown. Remove from the heat and let stand until the solids settle to the bottom of the pan. Skim the foam from the top and spoon the clear liquid (the clarified butter) into a measuring cup; there should be ½ cup. Discard the solids on the bottom of the pan.
  
• 2.
  Heat 8 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the rice, salt, cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns, and cardamom; cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is almost tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain immediately; let stand in the sieve until ready to use. (Leave the spices and peppercorns in the rice.)
  
• 3.
  Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  
• 4.
  Add 2 tablespoons of the clarified butter to a 10-inch heavy ovenproof skillet or wide saucepan, preferably nonstick. Add the onions; cook, stirring, until golden. Add the saffron threads; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
  
• 5.
  Spread the onions evenly over the bottom of the pan. Spoon the rice on top. Drizzle with the remaining clarified butter; smooth the top and press down with a spatula. Cover with a double thickness of foil, pressing down on the foil to compact the rice. Bake until the bottom is crisp and golden, 55 to 60 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
  
• 6.
  Uncover the pan, place a large platter over it, and carefully invert the rice onto the platter.
  

NOTE:
For this dish I prefer to use imported basmati rice, because it elongates more than the American basmati hybrids. I do not soak it, because the recipe calls for it to be cooked in plenty of boiling water (a technique preferred by many chefs), but I do rinse it, especially if it looks as if it contains dust or bits of chaff. To rinse, place in a bowl, fill with water, stir, and spoon off any debris that comes to the top; drain.

Like macaroni and cheese, but this homey version is made with cooked rice instead of elbow macaroni. Perfect food for cold weather.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups milk, warmed

1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

Dash of Tabasco sauce

2 cups coarsely shredded Cheddar

3 to 4 cups cooked medium-or long-grain white rice

1 cup coarsely shredded mozzarella

• 1.
  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish, about 8 inches square or 11 × 7 inches.
  
• 2.
  Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes. Gradually stir in the milk; cook, stirring, until the milk boils and the sauce is slightly thickened. Remove from the heat. Add the salt and Tabasco sauce. Stir in the Cheddar. Taste and add more salt if needed.
  
• 3.
  Spread the rice in the baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the mozzarella. Bake until the top is browned and bubbly, about 45 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
  

MUSHROOM-AND-BACON BAKED RICE AND CHEESE.
Omit the Tabasco. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet. Add 1 slice bacon, diced, and cook, stirring, until lightly browned. Add 2 cups sliced cremini or white button mushrooms and ½ cup chopped onion. Cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. To assemble the casserole, spread half of the rice in the baking dish. Spoon the mushroom filling evenly over the top. Add the remaining rice in an even layer. Pour the cheese sauce on top. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and bake as directed.

Fried Rice

It wasn't until my friend Ken Lee reheated a fried rice recipe that I was testing (and had run over to his house for him to critique) that I realized what was wrong with my fried rice dishes. Being a man of action, Ken immediately set my pan over a high flame and got to work. Rather than gently stirring the rice, as I had done, he pressed it down hard along the bottom and sides of the pan. Then he scraped up the rice; flipped it over, and hacked (a technique it had never occurred to me to use) at the rice, separating the grains. Each one emerged coated with the seasonings and hot from its contact with the pan. As I watched, I realized it was my technique (or lack of technique), not the recipe ingredients, that had been wrong. I also realized what a profound difference it makes to learn by watching. Since we all can't go to Ken's house, here is a list of the tips I learned from him.

• The rice should be cold and dry.
  
• Use cooked medium-or short-grain sushi rice, medium-grain white rice, medium-grain brown rice, or red rice. Cold leftover rice is best. Or cook the rice and let cool, then spread on a baking sheet and let stand at room temperature, or refrigerate, uncovered, to dry.
  
• Three cups cold or room-temperature cooked dry rice is enough for 4 side-dish servings. Use 4 cups for 4 main-dish servings.
  
• Have all ingredients prepped and measured. Fried rice cooks quickly, about 5 minutes from start to finish. Once you begin, there is no time to unscrew the top from the soy sauce bottle, or reach for a measuring spoon.
  
• A wok is fine, but not necessary. You can use a large heavy skillet. I use a skillet shaped like a wok with a nonstick coating.
  
• A big wooden spoon with a flat edge, a short wide wooden spatula, or a wooden rice paddle is best for stirring fried rice.
  
• Heat the pan first, then add the oil. Peanut oil is preferable, but any vegetable oil can be used.
  
• Tender vegetables like snow peas, bell peppers, bok choy, and zucchini will cook in minutes right in the hot rice. Firm vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower take longer; they should be parboiled first in boiling salted water for 1 to 2 minutes.
  
• When the oil is hot enough to sizzle a pinch of the prepared vegetables, add the vegetables to the skillet. Ken learned from his Chinese father to begin his stir-fry with chopped onion, cooked until golden. Then add the minced ginger, garlic, and chile pepper, if using, after adding the other vegetables.
  
• Add the rice all at once, sprinkle with soy sauce and sesame oil, if using, and spread it over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Press the rice against the surface of the hot pan. After a few seconds, lift the rice, turn, and press again; repeat several times. As the rice is cooking, make hacking motions, straight down and into the rice, with the side of the spoon, spatula, or paddle. This separates the rice grains and coasts then with the seasonings.
  
• When the rice is well mixed with the other ingredients, push it to one side of the pan, or spread it around the sides of the pan, clearing a spot. Add the egg to the cleared spot and cook until partially set. Chop it up with the edge of your stirring utensil and stir it into the rice, using quick hard strokes, or the hacking motion you used to stir the rice and vegetables. In 30 seconds, your fried rice is ready.
  

Oyster mushrooms, also called pleurotes, are a delicate lacy-capped mushroom the color of alabaster. If snow peas aren't available, substitute thawed frozen green peas. If your market doesn't stock black sesame seeds (available where Asian products are sold), substitute white sesame seeds, lightly toasted, or natural brown sesame seeds.

2 large eggs

Toasted sesame oil

Tamari or soy sauce

3 tablespoons peanut or other vegetable oil

¼ cup thinly sliced white part of scallions, plus ¼ cup thinly sliced scallion greens

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

8 ounces snow peas, strings removed, tips trimmed on the diagonal

8 ounces oyster mushrooms, trimmed, halved if large

3 to 4 cups cold cooked sushi rice or medium-grain white rice

1 teaspoon black sesame seeds

• 1.
  Break the eggs into a small bowl; add ½ teaspoon each sesame oil and tamari. Beat gently with a fork or chopstick just to combine. Set aside.
  
• 2.
  Heat a wok or large skillet, preferably nonstick, over high heat until hot enough to sizzle a drop of water upon contact. Add the peanut oil and a pinch of the scallion whites. When the scallions sizzle, add the remaining scallion whites; fry for 20 seconds, stirring with a flat wooden spatula or spoon. Add the ginger and the garlic; stir-fry for 10 seconds. Stir in the snow peas; cook for 20 seconds. Stir in the mushrooms; cook for 20 seconds.
  
• 3.
  Add the rice; break up any clumps with the edge of the spatula mixing in the other ingredients. Press the rice against the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon tamari and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Continue heating the rice, lifting up sections with the spatula, and turning, pressing, and hacking
  at it with the side of the spatula, until all the ingredients are evenly mixed and coated with the seasonings, about 1 minute.
  
• 4.
  Push the rice to one side or up the sides of the pan to make an open space. Add the eggs and fry until partially set, about 30 seconds. Stir into the rice until blended.
  
• 5.
  Sprinkle the fried rice with the scallion greens and sesame seeds. Spoon into a serving dish and serve at once. Let each person season the rice with extra tamari and sesame oil to taste.
  

Red rice from Bhutan, a sticky medium-grain rice with a distinctive earthy taste and chewy texture, makes delicious fried rice. I like to mix it with an equal amount of brown rice. If preferred, make this versatile recipe with all red rice or brown rice, or white rice, or a combination.

1 large egg

Toasted sesame oil

Tamari or soy sauce

3 tablespoons peanut or other vegetable oil

½ cup chopped onion

4 ounces shiitakes, stems discarded, caps wiped clean and cut into ¼-inch slices

½ cup diced cooked smoked ham, optional

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced jalapeño

4 ounces baby bok choy (4 or 5 heads), trimmed and cut crosswise into ½-inch slices (about 2 cups)

2 cups cold cooked Bhutanese red rice

2 cups cold cooked medium-grain brown rice

• 1.
  Break the egg into a small bowl; add ¼ teaspoon each sesame oil and tamari. Beat gently with a fork or chopstick just to combine. Set aside.
  
• 2.
  Heat a wok or large skillet, preferably nonstick, over high heat until hot enough to sizzle a drop of water upon contact. Add the peanut oil and a pinch of the onion. When the onions sizzle, add the remaining onions; fry, stirring with a flat wooden spatula or spoon, about 30 seconds. Add the shiitakes; stir-fry, until golden, about 1 minute. Add the ham, if using, ginger, garlic, and jalapeño; stir-fry for 10 seconds. Stir in the bok choy; cook for 20 seconds.
  
• 3.
  Add the rice; break up any clumps with the edge of the spatula, mixing in the other ingredients in the wok. Press the rice against the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon tamari and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Continue heating the rice, lifting up sections with the spatula, and turning, pressing, and hacking at it with the side of the spatula until all the ingredients are evenly mixed and coated with the seasonings, about 1 minute.
  
• 4.
  Push the rice to one side or up the sides of the pan to make an open space. Add the egg and fry until partially set, about 30 seconds. Stir into the rice until blended.
  
• 5.
  Spoon the rice into a serving dish and serve at once. Let each person season the rice with extra tamari and sesame oil to taste.
  

Orange zest adds a fresh clean taste to this easy-to-make fried rice dish. To make quick work of the zesting, peel the orange with a vegetable peeler. Stack the strips of peel and cut into fine slivers, then cut into 1-inch lengths. You will need the zest from about half an orange. This fried rice is excellent with shreds of cooked chicken or chopped cooked shrimp or as a side dish with fish or chicken.

3 cups small broccoli and cauliflower florets (1-inch pieces)

2 large eggs

Toasted sesame oil

Tamari or soy sauce

3 tablespoons peanut or extra virgin olive oil

1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, quartered, and cut crosswise into
¹
/
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-inch pieces

1 tablespoon slivered orange zest (see headnote)

¼ cup thinly sliced white part of scallion, plus

¼ cup thinly sliced scallion greens

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic

3 to 4 cups cooked white (or half white and half medium-grain brown) rice

½ teaspoon chile oil, or to taste

• 1.
  Heat a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cauliflower; cook, stirring several times, for 2 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water. Spread on a double thickness of paper towels to dry.
  
• 2.
  Break the eggs into a small bowl; add ½ teaspoon each sesame oil and tamari. Beat gently with a fork or chopstick just to combine. Set aside.
  
• 3.
  Heat a wok or large skillet, preferably nonstick, over high heat until hot enough to sizzle a drop of water upon contact. Add the peanut oil and a sliver of the red pepper. When the red pepper sizzles, add the remaining peppers; fry, stirring with a flat wooden spatula or spoon, until wilted, about 30 seconds. Add the orange zest, scallion whites, ginger, and garlic; stir-fry for 10 seconds. Stir in the broccoli and cauliflower; cook for 20 seconds.
  
• 4.
  Add the rice; break up any clumps with the edge of the spatula, mixing in the other ingredients in the wok. Press the rice against the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon tamari, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and the chile oil. Continue heating the rice, lifting up sections with the spatula, and
  turning, pressing and hacking at it with the side of the spatula, until all the ingredients are evenly mixed and coated with the seasonings, about 1 minute.
  
• 5.
  Push the rice to one side or up around the sides of the pan to make an open space. Add the eggs and fry until partially set, about 30 seconds. Stir into the rice until blended.
  
• 6.
  Spoon the rice into a serving dish; sprinkle with the scallion greens. Serve at once. Let each person season the rice with extra tamari and sesame oil to taste.