Australian Gourmet Traveller - (06)June 2020 (1)

Whattobuy

Onesizedoesnotfitallwherericeis

concerned.Avoidricelabelledsimplylong,

mediumorshortgrain.Instead,lookfor

specificvarietiesthatbestsuitthecuisine

youarecooking(seeglossary,right).To

gaugequality,pickupthepacketandmake

surethegrainsarewhole,unbrokenand

nicelypolished.Anyricethatcanbetraced

backtothegrowerandis organically

cultivatedis a definiteplus.

Perfectlycooked

If youdon’thavea ricecookerthentheabsorption

methodofcookingis best,asboiledricecanretain

toomuchmoisture.Cookingwhitericebyabsorption

ensureslight,fluffyrice.Tostart,thericeshouldbe

rinsedundercoldrunningwatertoremoveexcess

starchandcleanthegrains.Selecta saucepantosuit

theamountofriceyouwanttocook– youwantthe

ricetobe2-3cmdeep.Adda largepinchofsaltand

enoughcoldwatertocoverthericeby2cm,orup

tothefirstjointofyourindexfingerwhenmeasured

fromthetopoftherice.Bringtoa simmerover

medium-highheat,thenreduceheattolow,cover

witha tight-fittinglidandsimmeruntilriceis just

cooked(12minutes).Removefromheatandleaveto

standforfiveminutes,beforefluffingricewitha fork

andserving.Whencookingdifferentgrains,youmay

needtoadjusttheamountofwaterandcookingtime.

Leftovers

Cookmorethanyouneedanduseleftovers

tomakefriedriceornasigoreng.Tostart,

makesureyouhaveplentyofheatin your

wok,adda splashofoilandseasonings

suchasgingerorgarlic,thenstir-fryriceto

coat.Theadditionofegg,peanuts,speck,

snakebeans,orprawnsworkwell.Fish

sauce,soysauceorevenMaggiseasoning

willflavourtherice.Finishwithfreshchilli

andherbs,suchasThaibasil.●

RandallOrganicRiceislocallygrownandafavouriteamongchefs.

TIP

Brokenriceis

perfectforsoups

andcongees.

Savetheendofthe

packetforyour

nextbatch.

Glossary

GT

PICK

BASMATI

Long-grainessentialforIndian

cooking.A must-havepantrystaple.

BOMBARICE

ForSpanishricedishes,suchas

paellaandarrozconpollo.

CARNAROLI

Thesecrettoperfectrisottoand

arancini.Superiortoarborio.

KOSHIHIKARI

A short-grainessentialforJapanese

cooking,includingsushi.

BROWNANDWHOLE-GRAIN

Morenutritiousthanwhiterice.

Addstextureandfibretoanydish.

STICKYRICE

Alsoknownasglutinousrice,an

essentialinSoutheastAsiancooking.

JASMINE

A delicate,fragrantlonggrainand

perfectpartnertoanyThaicurry.

JASMINE

MORE THAN A SIDE

Rice doesn’t always have to

be the supporting act for other

dishes. It can shine as a star

in its own right in dishes such

as risotto, where rice is stirred

slowly through a flavoured

stock. For something different,

try baking meat or vegetables

with rice as a one-pot meal,

such as a biryani or Chinese

clay-pot rice. Southern-style

dirty rice blends fiery spices

with liver and mince, while

Korea’s bibimbap pairs rice

with gochujang sauce and

an assortment of toppings.

Baked rice custard is a classic

comfort dessert, best topped

with a good grate of nutmeg.

A WORD ON STARCH

Rice is high in starch and, in most cases,

it’s best to rinse in cold water to remove

any excess before cooking. But there are

some exceptions to the rule. Starch is a

thickening agent and when extra starch

is present, it can help thicken sauces and

soups, such as avgolemeno. Cooling

cooked rice creates resistant starch,

which has multiple proven health benefits.

However, you need to ensure cooked rice

is cooled quickly (within one hour) and

refrigerated to avoid toxins developing.

GOURMET TRAVELLER 51

WORDS LISA FEATHERBY. PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN PAUL URIZAR & GETTY IMAGES.