The Amazing World of Rice (7 page)

Red rice imported from Bhutan has a distinctive earthy, almost mineral flavor compared to other red rices. As a result, it complements, rather than dominates, the sweet, nutty taste of the edamame and the tamari-coated walnuts. This makes an excellent side dish with seafood, but it can also stand on its own as a main-dish salad. You could use medium-or long-grain brown rice instead of the red rice, or a combination of separately precooked red, black, and brown rices. Substitute broccoli for the edamame if preferred.

1 cup uncooked red rice

Tamari Walnuts

1 cup broken walnuts

1 teaspoon canola or other flavorless vegetable oil

3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

 

2 cups frozen shelled edamame (soybeans; see Notes)

Dressing

5 tablespoons canola or other flavorless vegetable oil

¼ cup unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

½ teaspoon minced or pressed garlic

½ teaspoon salt

 

½ cup thinly sliced scallions (white and green parts)

1 tablespoon minced jalapeño, or to taste

¼ cup cilantro leaves, optional

• 1.
  Cook the rice in plenty of boiling salted water until the grains are tender, 20 to 25 minutes (or 45 minutes or longer for brown rice); drain. (If using medium-grain brown rice, rinse with cold water to remove excess starch.) Let cool to room temperature.
  
• 2.
  For the tamari walnuts:
  Combine the walnuts and oil in a medium heavy skillet over medium heat; stir-fry just until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Sprinkle with the tamari and stir-fry until the walnuts are coated with the thickened tamari, adjusting the heat as necessary to keep the tamari from burning, about 1 minute. Turn out onto a double thickness of paper towels to blot, then transfer to a small bowl. (Do not cool the walnuts on the paper towels; they will stick to them.)
  
• 3.
  Place the edamame in a vegetable steamer; cover and steam over boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove from the steamer and let cool to room temperature.
  
• 4.
  For the dressing:
  Whisk the oil, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and salt in a large bowl until blended.
  
• 5.
  Add the rice, edamame, scallions, and jalapeño to the dressing; toss to coat. Sprinkle with the walnuts; toss. Garnish with the cilantro leaves, if desired. Serve at room temperature.
  

NOTES:
Edamame is the immature green pod of the soybean plant. The Japanese serve edamame as a snack food, still in the pods. Their sweet, slightly nutty taste is irresistible. Look for them in the frozen food section of Asian markets and some supermarkets. Sometimes called sweet beans, they are available either raw or cooked in their shells and conveniently shelled.

If desired, substitute 3 cups broccoli florets for the soybeans. Steam for 4 minutes, or until crisp-tender.

Medium-grain brown rice has a pleasant nutty taste and chewy texture. It can be sticky, so for salads I usually rinse the cooked rice with cold water before using. This salad is also excellent with russet-colored Wehani or red rice from Bhutan. Substitute smoked turkey, plain cooked chicken, pork loin, or shrimp for the smoked chicken.

Dressing

¼ cup canola oil

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 garlic clove, minced

 

3 cups cooked medium-grain brown rice (rinse the cooked rice to remove excess starch)

6 ounces smoked chicken breast, skin removed and cut into ¼-inch dice (about 1 cup)

1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into ¼-inch dice (about 2 cups)

½ cup thinly sliced scallions (white and green parts)

1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

½ cup roasted unsalted cashews, chopped

• 1.
  For the dressing:
  Whisk the oil, lime juice, tamari, ginger, and garlic in a large bowl.
  
• 2.
  Add the rice, smoked chicken, mango, scallions, and jalapeño. Toss to blend. Sprinkle with the cashews. Serve at room temperature.
  

With its moist texture and mild taste, imported Italian tuna packed in olive oil is the only tuna to use in this salad. When tomatoes are in season, I like to serve the salad in hollowed-out tomatoes using half yellow and half red tomatoes. Alternatively, you can spoon the salad onto a platter and garnish with wedges of tomato.

2 large ripe red tomatoes (about 12 ounces each)

2 large ripe yellow tomatoes (about 12 ounces each)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1½ cups cooked long-or medium-grain white rice

One 7-ounce can Italian tuna packed in olive oil, well drained

½ cup finely chopped celery

¼ cup finely chopped Parmigiano-Reggiano

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley, plus a few leaves for garnish

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

¼ teaspoon minced garlic

• 1.
  Cut the tops off the tomatoes, about ½ inch down from the crowns. Scoop the pulp from the tomatoes with a grapefruit knife or spoon or a tablespoon. Chop ½ cup of the pulp for the salad. Reserve the remainder for another use. Sprinkle the inside of the tomatoes lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  
• 2.
  Combine the rice, tuna, tomato pulp, celery, Parmigiano-Reggiano, red onion, parsley, capers, olive oil, vinegar, and garlic in a large bowl; stir to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  
• 3.
  Use a ½-cup measure to fill the tomatoes with the rice salad. Garnish with parsley leaves. Serve at room temperature.
  

The perfect salad for an August supper, when corn and tomatoes are at their peak. Substitute strips of grilled chicken for the shrimp, or serve it as a side dish, omitting the shrimp. I like this with medium-grain brown rice (make sure to rinse the cooked rice to remove excess starch), but white rice is good too.

Dressing

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

½ teaspoon grated lime zest

¼ cup fresh lime juice

1 garlic clove, minced

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

 

3 cups cooked brown or white rice (or use half of each color)

1 pound small frozen peeled and deveined shrimp, thawed and drained

3 cups corn kernels (from 4 to 5 ears)

½ cup thinly sliced scallions (white and green parts)

½ cup diced green bell pepper

½ cup diced red bell pepper

2 teaspoons minced seeded jalapeño, or more to taste

Curly or red leaf lettuce leaves

1 lime, cut into wedges

Cilantro sprigs, optional

• 1.
  For the dressing:
  Whisk the oil, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, salt, and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Sprinkle the cumin into a small dry skillet and heat over low heat, shaking the pan frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add to the dressing; whisk to blend.
  
• 2.
  Add the rice, half of the shrimp, the corn, scallions, green and red peppers, and jalapeño to the dressing; toss to blend.
  
• 3.
  Line a large shallow bowl with lettuce leaves. Spoon the salad into the center; garnish with the remaining shrimp and the lime wedges. Add a few sprigs of cilantro, if desired. Serve at room temperature.
  

Spinach salad with bacon, toasted nuts, and hard-cooked eggs, once a ladies' lunch special, is updated with the addition of rice. The texture of Wehani, somewhere between crunchy and chewy, is perfect in this hearty main-dish salad. Cooked brown rice, either medium-(rinsed with cold water to remove stickiness) or long-grain, or even wild rice, could be used as well.

5 thick slices bacon

½ cup sliced natural (skin-on) almonds

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cup canola or other flavorless vegetable oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 to 4 cups cooked Wehani rice

4 cups cut-up spinach (about 10 ounces)

½ cup thinly sliced celery

½ cup thin wedges (about ¼-inch) red onion

½ cup thin slivers (1-inch lengths) red bell pepper

2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and quartered

1 cup small cherry tomatoes, stems removed

• 1.
  Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  
• 2.
  Cook the bacon in a large heavy skillet over medium-low heat, turning, until browned; drain on absorbent paper. When the bacon is cool, cut crosswise into ¼-inch pieces; set aside.
  
• 3.
  Spread the almonds in a small baking pan; bake until toasted, stirring once, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
  
• 4.
  Whisk the oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Add the rice, spinach, celery, red onion, red pepper, and half of both the bacon and the almonds; toss to combine.
  
• 5.
  Spoon the salad onto a deep platter or shallow serving bowl. Arrange the egg quarters and cherry tomatoes around the edges. Sprinkle the salad with the remaining bacon and almonds. Serve at once.
  

The white wine–based broth the mussels are cooked in is later used to cook the rice, giving the entire salad a pleasant briny seafood flavor. Serve the salad as a first course or a main course. Leave at least two dozen of the mussels in their shells to use as garnish.

Mussels

1 cup dry white wine

1 small onion, thinly sliced

A few sprigs each basil, parsley, and thyme, plus more for garnish

1 garlic clove, bruised with the side of a knife

½ teaspoon kosher salt

4 pounds mussels, scrubbed and beards removed

Rice Salad

¼ teaspoon crumbled saffron threads

1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

½ cup seeded and diced (
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-inch) plum tomato

½ cup diced (
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-inch) red bell pepper

¼ cup minced green bell pepper

¼ cup minced red onion

¼ cup minced tender inside celery stalk, plus

1 tablespoon minced tender pale green celery leaves

¼ cup finely chopped Italian parsley

2 tablespoons chopped basil

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cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

Freshly ground black pepper

• 1.
  For the mussels:
  Combine 1 cup water, the wine, onion, basil, parsley, and thyme sprigs, garlic, and salt in a very large saucepan or deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Heat to a boil; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
  
• 2.
  Add the mussels to the simmering broth. Cover and cook over high heat for 5 minutes, without lifting the cover. Remove the opened mussels with a slotted spoon. Continue to cook until the remaining mussels open; discard any that refuse to open. Let the mussels and broth cool separately.
  
• 3.
  Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a 2-cup measure. Add enough water to equal 2 cups. Reserve 2 dozen of the mussels in their shells; set aside in a bowl. Remove the remaining mussels from their shells and set aside.
  
• 4.
  Heat the mussel broth and the saffron in a wide saucepan or deep skillet to a boil; stir in the rice. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the broth is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Let stand, uncovered, until cooled.
  
• 5.
  Combine the tomato, bell peppers, red onion, celery, celery leaves, parsley, and basil in a large bowl. Add the shelled mussels, and cooled rice.
  
• 6.
  Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and a grinding of black pepper in a small bowl until blended. Add to the rice mixture; toss gently to combine.
  
• 7.
  Spoon the salad into a large shallow bowl. Arrange the reserved mussels in their shells around the edges. Garnish with basil, parsley, and thyme sprigs. Serve at once.
  

Fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and jalapeño represent salty, sour, sweet, and hot, the four prominent flavors of Southeast Asian cooking. Fried rice sticks give this salad crunch. Use the very fine ones—they look like clear wires all wound together—sold in clear bags in Asian markets. I am always amazed to see the tangle of noodles magically—and instantly—expand to many times their original size when plunged into hot oil. Test a small portion before you proceed so you won't be overwhelmed with too many crispy rice threads at once.

Marinade

2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

 

12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

2 ounces dried rice vermicelli (rice sticks), separated into thin webs

6 ounces snow peas, ends trimmed on a diagonal

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon black or brown sesame seeds

Kosher salt

Dressing

6 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

1 tablespoon canola or other flavorless vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the skillet

1 tablespoon minced seeded jalapeño

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

½ small head romaine lettuce, trimmed and cut crosswise into ½-inch strips

½ large red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, cut into very thin half-circles

½ large red onion, cut into very thin half-circles

¼ cup cilantro leaves, plus tender stems, coarsely chopped

¼ cup mint leaves, coarsely chopped

¼ cup Thai basil leaves, coarsely chopped, optional

• 1.
  Marinate the chicken:
  Combine the fish sauce, sugar, and red pepper flakes in a pie plate or shallow bowl; stir to blend. Add the chicken; turn to coat. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
  
• 2.
  Heat 2 inches vegetable oil in a large wide saucepan (with plenty of room for the noodles to expand) to 375°F or hot enough to sizzle and puff up a single rice
  stick used as a test. Toss half of the rice sticks into the hot oil: they will expand instantly. Turn over with tongs. The frying will take about 2 seconds per side. Immediately transfer to a plate lined with doubled paper towels. Repeat with the remaining rice sticks.
  
• 3.
  Heat a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the snow peas and cook for 2 minutes (no longer—they overcook quickly); immediately drain and rinse under cold water until cool. Spread out on a kitchen towel to dry.
  
• 4.
  Toss the snow peas with the sesame oil, sesame seeds, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
  
• 5.
  For the dressing:
  Whisk the lime juice, fish sauce, oil, jalapeño, sugar, garlic, and ginger in a small bowl; set aside.
  
• 6.
  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle with a thin film of canola oil. Add the chicken and sear on both sides until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a side dish. When cool enough to handle, cut the chicken into ¼-inch-thick diagonal slices.
  
• 7.
  In a large shallow bowl, combine the chicken, snow peas, lettuce, red pepper, red onion, cilantro, mint, and basil, if using. Add the dressing; toss to coat. Lightly crush the fried rice sticks and sprinkle over the top of the salad. Serve at once.