After a day of excess at the table or when the stomach is in turmoil, we resort to White rice. And we rely on pale grains, sometimes seasoned with a little oil and Parmesan, to find serenity. Cooking white rice is very easy, but with some extra care we can make this simple dish appetizing. Discover with Sale & Pepe how to cook white rice!
How to choose the rice variety
Consumed all over the world and also suitable for gluten-free diets, rice is an ancient cereal with high nutritional value. It comes from a plant known as Oryza sativa, belonging to the grass family, which grows well in watery soils (this is why the rice fields are submerged by a layer of water).
Before cooking our plate of White rice It is important to point out one aspect of this ingredient. Not all beans are the same. When you are at the supermarket and you are about to buy your box of rice, remember that the amount of starch contained in one variety is not the same as the other.
THE'starch it is released during rice cooking. To prepare a good plate of white rice, the beans must be separated and shelled from each other. For this it will be necessary to choose a type with more starch, such as fine or superfine rice, which makes the grain hard and resistant to cooking.
Many are cultivated in the world variety of rice. Those produced in Italy belong to the subspecies japonica. The indigenous varieties, easily marketed in our country, are classified into four groups: common, semi-fine, fine and superfine.
Varieties belong to the first table is Amber. Their granule is opaque, they have a low resistance to cooking and are suitable for soups and desserts. In the group of semifini there are the Rosa Marchetti, the Vialone Nano and the Venus rice. They are beans that resist cooking better and are used to prepare soups and rice balls, or delicious timbales.
They define themselves fine rice the Ribe is S. Andrea: the beans are resistant to cooking, perfect for timbales is stuffed. THE superfine they are very resistant to cooking: these are the perfect grains for white rice. So to prepare it, choose the Carnaroli, the Bold, theArborio and the Rome.
Rice in white: the variants
The classic white rice it cooks very simply. First of all, it's good wash the beans putting them in a colander. This operation will serve to clean the rice of any impurities. Then dry it with absorbent kitchen paper.
Take a pot, pour the water and heat it up. Remember that for each 100 grams of rice it would be better to use 500 ml of water. When it boils, add the salt, wait for it to melt and then throw the rice. Follow the cooking times on the package and, at the end of cooking, drain the beans.
If the excess liquid is not so much, you can keep it to make creamy your white rice. However, the tantalizing touch to this simple dish is the butter in small pieces and the Parmesan or grated parmesan. If you want to give your dish a more healthy touch, use extra virgin olive oil. You can also perfume it with aromatic herbs and lemon.
Steam cooking
The most common method for cooking rice is the lessatura. But to prepare it in white, you can also cook it steam powered. The difference between the two techniques lies in the preservation of microelements such as mineral salts and vitamins during preparation in steam.
Put the rice in the special container in the steamer, add the necessary water, together with salt, butter or oil. If you want to perfume the beans, also add spices. Let it cook for ten minutes longer than the time indicated on the package.
The result will be more sticky because the water will not be drained, but will be absorbed by the beans. If you don't like this feature, at the end of cooking you can rinse the beans under running water in a sieve.
You can steam rice even if you use one casserole: calculates the amount of water needed and leaves the lid closed until cooking is finished.
Born in Turkey and widely used throughout the Middle East, the recipe of rice Pilaf it is simple to perform and allows you to bring to the table a perfect side dish to accompany particularly spicy fish or meat seconds. The type of rice traditionally used to prepare pilaf rice is basmati Indian but, as for traditional white rice, even our super-fine beans lend themselves very well to preparation.
To prepare a savory rice Pilaf it is enough to toast it with some fried, wet it with broth and cook it, covered without ever stirring, in the oven or on the stove. The cooking will be finished when it is dry. The beans will be well detached thanks to the fat absorbed during toasting. add 2 deciliters of broth for each 100 grams of rice: the result will be perfect.
Rice with shelled valance
Also known as rice to the pilot, the rice with shelled valance it is a typical dish of the area, which is characterized by being seasoned with pork pisto, a blend of flavored mixed meats. The grain recommended in this case is that of Vialone Nano.
The proportions between water and rice they must be very precise: a 1 part and 1/2 of water corresponds 1 part of rice. After boiling the water, you can add salt, even if the pisto is particularly tasty.
Rice should be poured into boiling water, using a sheet of baking paper. The goal is to form one pyramid inside the pot: the tip of this pyramid should just come out of the water. At this point the flame should be lowered, put a cloth on the pan and place the lid on the cloth, which you will then have to bundle. Cook for 15 minutes. Have you noticed that this recipe also requires rice to be cooked through the absorption of liquids? Just like rice pilaf!
While cooking the rice, take the pork pisto, also called tastasale, and shred the meat in a pot. Cook over medium heat. Instead of this mix of flavored meats, you can use salami. Cover with a lid and cook.
When the rice is cooked, begin to shell it and then add the seasoning in the casserole. Mix and add the grana cheese. Once everything is mixed, cover the pot with a lid and let the rice absorb the flavor of the meat. Rest for 2 minutes and start serving.
Put the rice in a bowl first to shape it. Place a shallow dish on top of the cup and then rotate to unmold the rice, which will take on the appearance of one dome.
Microwave cooking
To prepare your rice in white you can also use the microwave cooking. Once you have chosen the variety of the beans, rinse them and put them in soaking for at least 20 minutes. Transfer the rice into a bowl suitable for microwave cooking, then add the water and cover with the lid of the container or film suitable for this method of preparation. There proportion between liquid and rice is 2 to 1.
Start cooking: you will need it 10 minutes. Set the power on 700 W. At the end of this time, do not open the microwave immediately, but let the rice rest for at least 5 minutes. The vapor formed in the container will finish cooking.
Cooking with the Thermomix
Bimby has included the recipe of white rice among the automatic ones, precisely because it is one of the most popular preparations. If you have the appliance at home, prepare the white rice without basket. After boiling the water for 6 minutes, Bimby asks you to put in the rice and finish cooking.
But Thermomix allows you to cook rice even with Varoma, by placing the beans in the basket. It will take 20-25 minutes. This cooking method allows you to get the perfect white rice to prepare the sushi.
Tasty white rice
To prepare the tasty white rice you will need white rice and coconut milk (in the proportion of 2 to 1), a yellow pepper, a red pepper, a shallot, a clove of garlic and a teaspoon of curry, salt and extra virgin olive oil.
Put the chopped shallot in the pan together with the yellow pepper cut into squares. After 10 minutes add the rice and mix it well. Add the coconut milk and half a glass of water, curry and very little oil, as well as a little salt. Cook over low heat. The goal is that the rice absorbs all the water.
Meanwhile, take the other pepper, cut it into pieces and cook it with a little olive oil and a clove of garlic. Whisk it after cooking. Serve the rice on the table, shaping it into molds that you have covered with film and filled with beans. Put them on the plate: you'll see that you've got some pyramids to decorate with the pepper sauce.
How to drain the rice
If you have not used a cooking technique that involves the absorption of cooking water, you will have to occupy yourself of separating the water from the beans. But the procedure is slightly different from that used for pasta. Here's how to drain the white rice.
At the end of the cooking time provided for by the variety of rice chosen, drain the beans in a colander and pass them under therunning water. This ploy is necessary to stop cooking your rice in white.
How to dress white rice
The White rice it is perfect if eaten alone or enriched with a nice handful of grated cheese. A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or a knob of butter add that delicious amalgam, which embellishes this poor dish.
If used as a side dish, it is the aromatic sauces that make it tasty. Although during cooking it is possible to add aromatic herbs or spices such as i cloves to make the beans irresistible.
White rice is also the basis for tasty salads: the addition of meat and other nutritious ingredients make this dish perfect for combating the summer heat without giving up any nutrients.
Recipes with advanced rice
Nothing is thrown away in the kitchen. Advanced rice is just the starting point for preparing other tasty dishes. For example, you can prepare the rice balls, i supplì or le croquettes (maybe enriched with shrimp). Another great classic of the recovery kitchen is the rice omelette: try it also with the addition of cheese.
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