Additional Coverage:
- Rice tastes better if you add one ingredient to the cooking pot: ‘Brings out the flavor’ (themirror.com)
Rice: It’s a staple in countless dishes, yet so many of us struggle to get it just right. Too much water and it’s mush.
Too little, and it’s dry. But even when cooked perfectly, plain rice can be, well, boring.
Food blogger Emma Christensen offers some simple tricks to transform a bland pot of rice into something truly delicious.
First, try toasting your rice. Before adding water, sauté the dry grains in a little butter or olive oil. This simple step adds a nutty depth of flavor, especially to brown rice or heartier grains like barley.
Next, ditch plain water and use stock. Chicken or vegetable stock, either homemade or from a bouillon cube, adds richness and complexity. Christensen recommends a 50/50 mix of stock and water to avoid a gummy texture.
Finally, don’t forget the spices! Match your rice seasoning to your main dish.
Whole spices offer a subtle hint of flavor, while ground spices deliver a more powerful punch. And Christensen’s secret weapon?
A bay leaf. She adds one to almost every pot of rice she makes.
With these easy tips, you can elevate your rice from side dish to star.