I could then thin out the sauce to the desired consistency
with the remaining liquid, boiling it hard for just a moment
to thicken it up properly.
Now, on to bigger, bolder questions.
To Toast or Not to Toast?
First off: Butter, olive oil, or both? It’s largely a matter of
personal taste. I like the complexity that you get from using
both fats as opposed to just one. There are some folks out
there who claim that you add oil to the butter to prevent it
from burning when you heat it, since butter starts burning in
the low 300°F range, while most oils can get to 400°F or
beyond before they start smoking. This is silliness and
shouldn’t be believed. A mixture of butter and oil will still
burn at the same temperature as butter. I know, because I’ve
tried it. It’s the milk proteins in the butter that burn, and they
don’t care whether they’re heated in oil or in pure butterfat.
The only reason to combine butter and oil is for flavor,
and then you have to be careful not to burn the mixture
when you heat it. Adding your rice or aromatics just as it
stops foaming is key.