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Boiled Rice (Rapidly boil cup raw rice)
Rapidly boil 1 cup raw rice (unpolished rice preferred) in 4 cups (1 quart) boiling salted water. When rice kernels are tender clear through, pour off the water, then quickly wash the rice with fresh boiling water, shake it dry and serve with lump of butter in center, and pepper besprinkled over it.
This is rice cooked like pasta, in abundant water that is then drained away, rather than by absorption. The method is forgiving and works well with brown rice, which is what "unpolished" means here.
- Unpolished riceThis is brown rice, with the bran layer intact. It needs 25-35 minutes at a rolling boil, against about 12-15 minutes for white long-grain.
- Water quantityFour cups to one cup of rice is tight for boiling and draining. Use two quarts or more so the grains move freely and cannot go gluey.
- SaltingThe original says salted water and gives no amount. About a teaspoon per quart is right; most of it goes down the drain with the cooking water.
- The hot rinseWashing with fresh boiling water, not cold, is the point of the step. It strips surface starch so the grains stay separate without chilling them. A kettle boiled alongside makes this easy.
- Shaking dryAfter the rinse, leave the rice in the sieve over the empty pan for two or three minutes so residual water steams off. Rice served straight from the colander is wet.
- Doneness"Tender clear through" means biting a grain and finding no chalky core. Brown rice keeps a slight chew even when fully cooked; that is not undercooking.
- YieldOne cup of raw rice gives roughly three cups cooked, enough for four modest side servings.