Mistakes Everyone Makes
When Cooking Rice
Rice is, without a doubt, the most delicious
type of grass to grow in a swamp. That’s
not praise to be given lightly. As long as
humans have lived in houses, we’ve eaten
rice. There are as many types of rice as
there are places to grow it, from the
familiar, highly processed white rice to
whole-grain brown, all the way through red
to black wild rices grown in Asia. However,
the rise of convenience culture in response
to rapidly diminishing supplies of free time
mean more and more people reach
adulthood without internalizing recipes and
cooking techniques. Does that describe
you? Welcome, you’re among friends. Allow
me to share some mistakes I’ve learned to
avoid.
Choosing the wrong tools
Ultimately, much of this advice will boil
down to “your technique and tools should
depend on what you’re cooking,†but there
are a few grains of wisdom to glean when
it comes to equipment, most importantly,
your choice of pot. A pot with a thick
bottom will better retain and distribute
heat. Thick bottoms are crucial for boiling
rice in the absorption method, where the
formation of steam pockets play a key role
in cooking.
Not washing your rice
Many advocates of rice-washing claim that
industrial byproducts of the milling process
(like talc) remain on the finished product.
The claim is that pre-washing helps remove
excess starch and any undesirable
leftovers. Most domestically processed rice
is free from talc, but imported strains like
basmati may be processed with it. While
flavored and enriched rice blends popular
with Western grocers certainly don’t need
pre-washing (you’re paying for convenience
and flavor, after all!) a rinse or two of cold
water will yield fluffier, more distinct
grains. If you feel so moved, grab a fine
mesh strainer and pop 1 cup of rice under
the faucet. When the water draining from
the grains is clear, you’re good to go. The
only exception would be those cooking
risotto or sushi rice, who crave that
starchy goodness.
Bad burner planning
Here’s a tip to remember the next time you
deal with any quick-cooking starch: The
surface of electric burners holds a great
amount of heat, increasing the length of
time a pot remains boiling after the burner
temperature is reduced. To avoid this, heat
a second burner to a low simmer as the
pot begins to boil on the first. Those lucky
souls blessed with propane burners don’t
need to worry, being well familiar with the
gas’s whip-fast response time.
Not pre-soaking aromatic rices
Aromatic rices, like basmati and almond
rice, should be pre-soaked in order to
preserve the oils responsible for their
signature aromas. Cooking destroys these
oils, so in order to minimize cooking time,
pre-soak the grains in more water than
you’ll cook them in. This expedites cooking
time by an average of 20 percent, resulting
in restaurant-grade bouquets.
Cooking too hot
Cooking too fast causes the grains to burst
open like a B*tterflied steak, which not
only releases starch, but also ruins the
texture of your meal. Even if you’re aiming
for porridge or pudding, ruptured grains are
to be avoided. Automatic rice boilers are
designed to only just reach boiling
temperature, so anything past that is too
much.
Lifting the lid while it cooks
If you’re boiling rice, don’t even think of
lifting the lid as it cooks. Not only will
lifting the lid lengthen the cooking time as
it releases pressure and steam, but it can
also seriously mess up the finished
product. When you lift the lid, the carefully
calculated rice-water ratio is thrown of
which will result in dry and under-cooked
rice. Unless you’re adding seasoning or
checking how much water remains, leave it
alone. Let the rice cook; it knows what it’s
doing.
Stirring the rice
Another huge mistake many people make is
stirring the rice as it boils. Unless you’re
making risotto, don’t touch the rice while
it’s cooking. Stirring rice while it’s in the
pot causes starch to activate and prevents
the formation of steam pockets; in
layman’s terms, it’s going to make your
rice mushy. While that smooth creamy
texture is coveted in risotto, you want to
avoid it when making regular rice.
Not adding enough water
Many people don’t use enough water which
can leave the rice dry and undercooked.
The amount of water needed to perfectly
cook different types of rice varies slightly,
so you should do some research about how
much water to add before cooking. If
you’re still unsure whether you’ve added
enough water, you can always try using the
knuckle method. Put your rice in the pot
and fill it with water. When you rest your
finger on top of the rice, the water should
come up to the top of your first knuckle.
Cooking with unsalted water
Popular opinion holds that salt makes water
boil faster, but the difference isn’t really
noticeable. But one important thing the salt
does is interfere with the process by which
starches link and connect, becoming
gelatin. Many professional chefs prefer to
salt their water to near-oceanic levels of
salinity. It’s your kitchen, so go hog wild. In
addition to preventing gelatinization, salt
also has the interesting byproduct of being
delicious. Adding salt to your rice water is
important for getting your rice right.
Cooking unseasoned food
Melting B*tter in the water also helps with
flavor. A bay leaf, dried peppers, citrus
zest, dried mushroom slices, nuts, even a
cinnamon stick will add depth and color to
the rice. The boiling water will help both
rehydrate and unlock essential oils in
rugged spices like cinnamon and bay, and
the flavorful pepper innards will easily
separate from the thick outer skin without
a lot of chopping or dicing. And, hey, why
not cook with stock instead of water?
Splash a little bit of wine in there every
now and then? That’ll help with the
existential horror and boredom of watching
rice cook. Yay, wine!
Substituting different types of rice
You wouldn’t swap apples for potatoes and
still call it apple pie. So why would you use
short grains in place of long wild rice?
Different rices have different attributes,
and they behave differently when cooked.
It’s not that it’ll negatively affect the taste
so much as it’ll affect the texture and
consistency.
Not letting it sit after cooking
When done correctly, fresh cooked rice will
be drier on the top than on the bottom. It’s
crucial that the rice be allowed to sit off
the heat for at least 5-30 minutes, in order
for moisture to evenly distribute itself
through the dish. Cooking is hard work!
Fluffing the rice before that time will result
in a sticky fork and clumps of
inconsistently moist rice.
Treating all rice the same
Not all rice is created equal. There are
thousands of varieties of rice grown
throughout the world, and you can’t cook
each one the same way. Do some research
before you fire up your stove. Brown rice,
for example, requires slightly more water
than white rice. Whether your brown rice is
short-grain or long-grain will also affect the
amount of water needed; a cup of short-
grain rice needs a quarter of a cup more
water than long-grain rice
