rice

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

I've never really been a rice eater. Tony doesn't like it, so I've not made it.

But due to reactions to some food stuffs (sugar, chocolate, lettuces) I've changed my diet. I'm not a wine drinker, but can no longer tolerate it, I get a reaction much like food poisoning. No loss tho - but I understand why some people switch to gin?

Anyway.
As I'm eating plainer foods sometimes, I've rediscovered rice. And absolutely love it.
Plain white at the moment, I'll have it with poached chicken pieces, and a bit of Japanese soy sauce.

How do you embellish your rice please, I'm looking for ideas.

[dennispc Profile]

Sorry to hear about all the changes to what you can eat Gill and hope you soon find the right stuff.

Chicken and rice one pot we had last night. It's in one of the BBC's little books, the best chicken dishes.

Breast of chicken, dried fried, four minutes each side. Take out. Recipe says Chorizo but I fry up some bacon pieces. Remove. Saute some onion, add rice, add chicken and bacon and about 500g of hot chicken stock, still rice is soft. Also includes kidney beans, but doesn't suit OH, so we leave them out. Separately do some frozen peas, or indeed anything.

[Sakkarin Profile]

Check out Hainanese Chicken, where the chicken is boiled, then half the stock is used for the rice, the rest as a palate-cleansing soup. The "pickled" cucumber is an essential part of the dish, together with its dressing. Wonderful comfort food, I remember the last meal I had in Thailand was a plateful of this, from a roadside stall.

You've also reminded me I've got that Lap Yuk belly pork in the freezer. All that's done with that is to add it to your rice before you cook it, it cooks in the rice.

Also my cheaty pilau rice is a quick tweak, there's a recipe for it somewhere on here, and I recently posted a couple of spicy fried rice dishes.

Hainanese rice 2007 pic, this is how it would normally come, with the chicken draped over a mound of rice:
www.sakkarin.co.uk/foodforumpix/800hainan15.jpg

2012 pic, this is how I do it, with the cucumber already drenched in the dressing, and too eager to eat it to faffa around making the cucumbers look pretty:
www.sakkarin.co.uk/foodforumpix/hainanese-rice01.jpg

[karadekoolaid Profile]

I cook the rice with turmeric first, then drain.
Add some butter/ghee/oil of your choice to a pan . Gently fry a handful of cashew nuts with a cinnamon stick, two or three bay leaves and a couple of cardamoms.Add a handful of raisins and cook gently until they plump up.
Now add the cooked rice and a couple of tablespoons of water. Warm through. Eat.

I sometimes add cooked peas, carrots, courgettes, aubergines, etc.

[Amyw Profile]

I love rice in pretty much all it’s forms . Rice and peas is nice for a change though I tend to use black beans rather than kidney beans . Cooking the rice in stock with some added aromatics such as a bashed up stick of lemongrass , garlic , ginger make it slightly more interesting .

If you’re looking for more of a main meal , I love kedgeree and think it’s well overdue a comeback . There’s also good old paella.

[Binky Profile]

I second all of the above, but two other things I do with rice are (1) add some drops of sushi vinegar to cooked rice when cooking a Chinese/Asian dish -it really lifts the rice imo - and (2) if you have leftover rice, put it in a frying pan with some peas and when the peas are cooked, crack an egg and spoon through for instant egg-fried rice.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Such different ideas from you all, excellent.

I've found your lap yuk too, Sakkarin. It looks great! viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4277&hilit=fried+rice#p77643

I'll make some fried Binky rice on Monday. And work my way through other ideas. Thanks. xx

[jeral Profile]

I don't usually embellish rice as it's a carb used when there's already a gravy or liquid already on the plate already. If not why not, or could some be created by other ingredients? I find soy sauce a bit too strong just on rice, although I've not tried light soy sauce yet.

Aside from things mentioned, cooked rice with bits and bobs (e.g. pork or onion/mushroom) used for stuffing into hollowed vegetables or spring rolls.

Cooked rice can be frozen in portions in straight-to-microwave lidded tubs, or in a poly bag in a thin layer so you can break off bits as needed. Also a layer thaws much quicker than a clump when cold rice is needed for e.g. egg stir-fried rice. (Can add a touch of Chinese 5-spice to that.)

Jasmine rice, or Thai fragrant, is lovely enough on its own.

Has pilaff been mentioned? A dish rather than an embellishment, that has the advantage of file and forget in the oven for about 35 mins. Ditto oven-cooked risotto arborio rice recipes.

[Pepper Pig Profile]

I do love a proper risotto.

[jeral Profile]

Pepper Pig, might I ask why you or others like risotto? I have eaten them in Italy (presumably proper ones) but find them sloppy mush. A great filler maybe and harmless enough, but what is there to love about them that I'm missing? Ta.

Edit PS: I expect the full hair-swinging Nigella stylee exuberantly sensuous explanation.

Another Edit PS, I have seen a super chef or two putting more flavour in the liquor after hours of prep than ever thought possible, but I doubt most risottos can claim to come anywhere near those.

[Binky Profile]

My risottos are moist, not sloppy.

What's not to like about gorgeous mushrooms, parmesan cheese and rice cooked in vermouth?

Eaten with warm foccacia or garlic bread, it's a satisfying and quick supper.

[smitch Profile]

I love a good risotto too, in fact I’m eating one right now

I hate sad, microwaved risotto as the only veggie option in a pub though. Sadly I’ve eaten a lot of those over the years

[Pepper Pig Profile]

Gobsmacked Jeral. A well made risotto slowly and lovingly assembled is a joy forever as they say.

I follow Delia’s recipe and then cast around to see what other people are doing.

[MagicMarmite Profile]

We absolutely love risotto, particularly my daughter, it's warm, comforting and flavourful if you make it right.

[Pampy Profile]

Risotto for me too, especially when it's done with a home made stock - the strength of the stock depends on what's in the risotto. Mushroom can stand quite a strong one but one of my favourite, prawn, asparagus and saffron, only needs a light stock.

[karadekoolaid Profile]

I don´t know where in Italy you ate a risotto, Jeral, but it should never be "sloppy". Nor should it be dry, mind you.
A good risotto should not take much more than about 30 minutes to cook - providing, of course, you have your stock ready. It should also ( my personal opinion) not contain more than five or six ingredients: including the rice, herbs/spices and stock. Rice - al dente.
Best rice for the job? Carnaroli or Arborio. Best flavours? For me, asparagus; sundried tomato or shrimp.
The only thing I would emphasise about a good risotto is that it has to be hands-on, ie., you need to spend the full 30 minutes cooking it, and it has to be served immediately.
If you like something "sloppy", then you should try a Spanish " Asopado", which is a cross between a risotto and a thick soup. I once had a Lobster Asopado which was to die for.

[Rainbow Profile]

Pepper Pig, might I ask why you or others like risotto? I have eaten them in Italy (presumably proper ones) but find them sloppy mush. A great filler maybe and harmless enough, but what is there to love about them that I'm missing? Ta.

Edit PS: I expect the full hair-swinging Nigella stylee exuberantly sensuous explanation.

I agree with you, Jeral
I've had risotto in a few restaurants but never liked it - I prefer drier rice dishes, like a fried rice

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I like risotto

But if you like drier dishes then there are all the variations on pilaff / pilau, which range from almost plain to something that's a meal with a small salad. Or ramping up a level biriyani, which can be as simple or as complicated as you like. Plenty of ideas on Mamta’s website

Peas (red beans or pigeon peas or black beans) and rice. Can be a side dish or I like it as a simple meal with a salad including avocado

Kedgeree (with smoked haddock) or its Indian cousin khichri made with lentils.

[jeral Profile]

For myself (Rainbow will have her own views), I just wanted to know why people love or like risotto. From received answers I'm not sure I'm any the wiser TBH. Not to worry.

[Amyw Profile]

I like risotto because of the texture , I enjoy all the ingredients and it’s very comforting to eat . I also find the cooking process very comforting .

I think if you don’t like something you don’t like it . I hate mashed potato and I can get in theory why others enjoy it and there’s always that one person who says well if you try it this way You’ll love it . Nope never will