On Food and Cooking

rice until the liquid is absorbed, then
repeating until the rice is soft but still has a
kernel of chewiness at the center. This
time-consuming technique subjects the rice
grains to constant friction, and rubs
softened endosperm from the surface so
that it can become dissolved in the liquid
phase (stirring only at the end of cooking
breaks the softened grains apart rather than
removing the surface layer). In addition,
the cooking of small amounts of liquid in
an open pan causes much of the moisture
to evaporate, which means that more of the
cooking liquid must be used, and thus that
more of the cooking liquid’s flavor
becomes concentrated in the dish.
Restaurant cooks prepare risotto to
order by cooking the rice well ahead of
time the traditional way until it’s just short
of done, then refrigerating it. This allows
some of the cooked starch in the rice to
firm (p. 458), giving the grain more