NINE : STEAMED RICE WITH HERBS

PLENTY

JULY 22 2012

NINE : STEAMED RICE WITH HERBS (OR, ACTUALLY, HERBS WITH RICE)

Have you ever wondered how to make perfectly nice rice into a huge pain in the behind? Hint: it involves triple the time, quadruple the steps, quintuple the dishes to wash and a potato.

dinner tonight : lovely & simply salmon with pain-in-the-behind rice

According to Mr. O, this "very particular" method is all worth it for the "incredibly light and fluffy steamed rice" that will amaze and delight us. But, after going through the whole process, I'm not really convinced it's all worth the hassle. Don't get me wrong, that rice was niiiiice. But dang!


Okay, step 1: rinse the rice under running water. I know many people do this normally, but I don't. So here's one extra step.

rice = rinsed!

Step 2: Cover with water, stir in salt and let soak 1 - 2 hours. Mine soaked about 1.5 hours before I moved on.

Step 3: Chop lots (and lots and lots and lots) of herbs. Seriously! This takes 2 cups chopped dill, 2 cups chopped parsley and 6 (!) cups chopped cilantro. Admittedly, I didn't measure my herbs exactly. I just chopped everything I had... close enough!

Step 4: Transfer rice and soaking water to a large pot, cover with 3 more cups water and bring to a boil. But then simmer "only a minute or so".

all these herbs for one little pot of rice

Step 5: Add chopped herbs, and sliced green onion, to rice.

lots! of herbs

Step 6: Simmer 1 - 2 minutes then drain (argh!).

the barely cooked rice has now been drain and awaits further instructions

Step 7: Rinse and dry pot (arrrggghhhh!!!!)

Step 8: Heat grapeseed oil, then layer in peeled, thinly sliced potato, overlapping slightly. Let potato brown about 2 minutes.

pretty potato flower

Step 9: Remove from heat and "allow to cool down." Now does Mr. O want the potatoes totally cold or just not screaming hot. Not sure... but I was way to impatient to let them fully cool, so they ended up warmish before moving on.

Step 10: Drizzle potatoes with 2 tablespoons water.

Step 11: Carefully fill pot with barely cooked rice, creating a "proper heap" while avoiding letting the rice touch the sides of the pan. Okay, think I got it...

rice in a proper heap with vent holes

Step 12: Use the handle of a wooden spoon to create 5 vent holes through rice to allow for proper steaming.

Step 13: Drizzle with grapeseed oil and additional water then cover and put over high heat for a minute or two then reduce heat to low and let steam 20 minutes.

Step 14: Turn off heat and let sit 20 minutes (or, if you have an electric stove, like me, only let rest 10 minutes then remove from the burner to a warm place for the last 10 minutes.)

Step 15: Stir together yogurt, sour cream and olive oil to top the rice.

Step 16: Finally! Eat! The rice is very light and fluffy and I love all the herbs. It goes smashingly with the salmon as well. I would say a very successful dinner but I don't intend to make rice this way ever again.

the potatoes get all crispy on the bottom... yum.