The Amazing World of Rice (9 page)

The dish has the flavors of tabbouleh, with basmati rice instead of the traditional bulgur. Use all white basmati or a mixture of white and brown (cooked separately).

1 cup uncooked basmati rice

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Dressing

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon tahini

½ teaspoon minced garlic

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch of cayenne

2 cups diced (¼-inch) seeded tomatoes

1 cup diced (¼-inch) seedless cucumber

1 cup finely chopped, tender, curly leaf parsley, including stems

½ cup thinly sliced scallions (white and green parts)

¼ cup finely chopped mint, plus a few sprigs for garnish

Cherry tomatoes for garnish

• 1.
  Heat 1¾ cups water to a boil in a shallow saucepan or deep skillet. Add the rice and ½ teaspoon salt; cook, covered, over low heat until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Let stand, uncovered, until cooled. Fluff with a fork.
  
• 2.
  For the dressing:
  Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and the cayenne in a large bowl. Add the rice, tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, scallions, and mint. Toss to blend.
  
• 3.
  Spoon the salad onto a platter. Garnish with cherry tomatoes and mint sprigs. Serve at room temperature.
  

Jasmine tea imparts a sweet floral note to the tender grains of jasmine rice. Serve this salad with seafood, such as shrimp, salmon, or halibut.

2 teaspoons loose jasmine tea leaves or 1 tea bag jasmine tea

1 cup uncooked jasmine rice

½ teaspoon kosher salt

4 ounces snow peas, trimmed

Vinaigrette

¹
/
₃
cup canola or other flavorless vegetable oil

3 tablespoons unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

½ teaspoon kosher salt

 

¼ cup thinly sliced scallion greens

¼ cup minced carrot

1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

• 1.
  In a 2-cup glass measure, combine 1¾ cups boiling water and the tea; cover with a saucer and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain out the tea leaves or discard the tea bag; transfer the tea to a shallow saucepan or deep skillet. Add the rice and salt and heat to a boil; stir once. Cover and cook over low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Uncover and let cool.
  
• 2.
  Steam the snow peas in a vegetable steamer over gently boiling water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking; drain well. Cut the snow peas into ¼-inch slices.
  
• 3.
  For the vinaigrette:
  Whisk the oil, rice vinegar, ginger, and salt in a small bowl until blended.
  
• 4.
  Combine the cooled rice, snow peas, 3 tablespoons of the scallions, and the carrot in a large bowl. Add the dressing; toss to coat. Spoon into a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and garnish with the remaining scallions. Serve at once.
  

You could also make this salad with half wild and half long-grain brown or white rice. The recipe can be easily doubled (or tripled) for a large buffet supper. Substitute fully cooked corn-or apple-smoked ham for the turkey. Or add a cup or so of diced smoked mozzarella. When chopping the parsley, include the sweet, fragrant stems along with the leaves.

1 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed in warm water and drained

½ cup canola or other flavorless vegetable oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 small garlic clove, minced

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

6 ounces sliced smoked turkey, cut into 1 ×
¹
/
₈
-inch slivers

1 cup small seedless green grapes

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup toasted and peeled hazelnuts (see box)

¼ cup finely chopped Italian parsley

¼ cup thinly sliced scallions (white and green parts)

• 1.
  Heat 3 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan; stir in the rice. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat until tender, 35 to 55 minutes, depending on the rice. Uncover and cook to evaporate any excess liquid; or let stand, covered, until any remaining water is absorbed. Let cool to room temperature.
  
• 2.
  Whisk the oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and a grinding of black pepper in a large bowl. Add the rice, turkey, grapes, cranberries, hazelnuts, parsley, and scallions; toss to blend. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve at room temperature.
  

Two to three cups leftover cooked rice become a main or side dish salad with the addition of a simple dressing, fresh vegetables, and bits of seafood or meat.

Dressing

3 to 4 tablespoons canola or other flavorless vegetable oil or extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar, or mild red wine vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Optional Seasonings

½ teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

 

Tomato, Corn, and Basil (use olive oil and lemon juice)

1 medium tomato, diced

½ cup corn kernels (from 1 ear)

2 tablespoons torn basil leaves

 

Carrot and Dry-Roasted Peanuts (use canola oil and rice vinegar)

1 medium carrot, coarsely shredded

¼ cup chopped dry-roasted unsalted peanuts

¼ cup dark raisins

 

Italian Tuna, Red Onion, and Green Olives (use olive oil and red wine vinegar)

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

½ cup chopped red onion

8 pitted green olives, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

 

Confetti Vegetables (use olive oil and lemon juice)

¼ cup finely chopped red bell pepper

¼ cup finely chopped green bell pepper

¼ cup finely chopped carrot

¼ cup finely chopped red onion

 

Chicken and Coconut (use canola oil and lemon juice)

1 cup shredded cooked chicken

½ cup chopped cilantro

¼ cup toasted unsweetened flaked coconut

¼ cup roasted salted cashews

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

 

Whisk the oil, lemon juice or vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste, and any optional seasonings in a large bowl until blended. Add the rice and the ingredients for one of the salads. Toss to blend, and serve at once.

This is an all-purpose dressing that can be used on green salads as well as rice salads. Choose an unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar that says “light” or “mild” on the label.

¼ cup canola or other flavorless vegetable oil

3 tablespoons unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger

½ teaspoon minced garlic

½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil, optional

 

Whisk the oil, rice vinegar, salt, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil, if using, in a small bowl. Use at once or in 1 to 2 days. Store in the refrigerator.

T
hese recipes come under the heading of little rice dishes,
not because they are small servings but because they can be served as a snack, appetizer, side dish, or light meal.

To cook rice in any form is to take a jaunt around the world, which is perhaps more evident in this chapter than it is in the others. From Japanese sushi rice balls to Greek-inspired stuffed grape leaves the recipes encompass the globe from Asia to the Mediterranean.

The recipes illustrate the amazing versatility of this unassuming grain. There are rice pancakes made from leftover risotto, Turkish-and Persian-style pilafs, classic Chinese fried rice, Greek-style stuffed vegetables, and Arancini deep-fried rice balls from Sicily.

Many recipes are reminders of the countries I have visited; others are from places I dream of visiting as I dip my cup into a sack of rice.

Serve these crunchy little rice pancakes as a nibble with wine before dinner or as a side dish with grilled fish or chicken. I also like them as a vegetarian main course, with a side dish of crisp cooked sugar snap peas tossed with a few drops of toasted sesame oil.

2 tablespoons canola or other flavorless vegetable oil, plus additional for cooking the pancakes

4 ounces shiitakes, stems discarded, caps wiped clean and cut into
¹
/
₈
-inch slices

½ cup thinly sliced white part of scallions, plus ¼ cup thinly sliced scallion greens 1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup uncooked sushi rice or Arborio, Carnaroli, Vialone Nano, Baldo, or other medium-grain white rice

½ cup unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar

3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon brown sesame seeds

1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1.
  Heat the oil in a large wide saucepan or deep skillet. Add the shiitakes; cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the scallion whites and garlic; cook for 1 minute. Stir in the rice; cook, stirring, until blended. Add the rice vinegar and cook, stirring, until it has evaporated, about 3 minutes.
  
• 2.
  Meanwhile, heat the chicken broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan.
  
• 3.
  Stir 2 cups of the hot chicken broth into the rice. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add ½ cup more broth; stir for 30 seconds. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ½ cup chicken broth; stir for 30 seconds. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
  
• 4.
  Add the scallion greens, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Stir until well blended. Add salt to taste and a grinding of black pepper. Spread the rice in a 13 × 9-inch baking pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Place a piece of plas
  tic wrap directly on the rice. Refrigerate until cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes.
  
• 5.
  Using a small knife, cut the rice into 12 squares. Dampen your hands with water and shape each portion into a 2½-inch pancake about ½ inch thick. Rinse your hands frequently to prevent sticking. Refrigerate the pancakes, covered, for at least 20 minutes.
  
• 6.
  When ready to serve, heat a thin film of vegetable oil in a large heavy skillet or on a griddle. Add the pancakes and cook over medium to medium-low heat until the bottoms are set and golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Using a wide spatula, carefully turn and brown the other sides. Serve hot.
  

Come fall, I am drawn to winter squash like a bee to a honeycomb. My favorite is butternut; I put it in everything—even rice pancakes. Keeping in the spirit of the season, I serve these with pork chops topped with sautéed apple slices, or with a pork loin stuffed with dried fruit. Easier than serving risotto to a large table of dinner guests, these can be made ahead, browned, and then reheated in a 350°F oven just before serving.

One 1-pound butternut squash, seeds discarded, peeled, and cut into ¼-to ½-inch dice (about 2 cups)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup minced onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup uncooked Arborio, Carnaroli, Vialone Nano, Baldo, or other medium-grain white rice

½ cup dry white wine

3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (or half broth and half water)

1 cup shredded Gruyère

2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Canola or other flavorless vegetable oil for cooking the pancakes

• 1.
  Put the squash in a vegetable steamer, cover, and steam over boiling water until crisp-tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside.
  
• 2.
  Melt the butter in a wide deep saucepan or deep skillet. Add the onion; cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic; cook for 1 minute. Stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine; cook, stirring, until it has evaporated, about 3 minutes.
  
• 3.
  Meanwhile, heat the chicken broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan.
  
• 4.
  Stir 2 cups of the hot chicken broth into the rice. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add ½ cup more broth; stir for 30 seconds. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ½ cup broth and the squash; stir for 30 seconds. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. The rice should be tender and moist.
  
• 5.
  Stir in the cheese and parsley until blended. Add salt to taste and a grinding of black pepper. Spread the rice mixture in a 13 × 9-inch baking pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the rice. Refrigerate until cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes.
  
• 6.
  Using a small knife, cut the rice into 12 squares. Dampen your hands with water and shape each portion into a 2½-inch pancake about ½ inch thick. Rinse your hands frequently to prevent sticking. Refrigerate the pancakes, covered, for at least 20 minutes.
  
• 7.
  When ready to serve, heat a thin film of vegetable oil in a large heavy skillet or on a griddle. Add the pancakes and cook over medium to medium-low heat until the bottoms are set and golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Using a wide spatula, carefully turn and brown the other sides. Serve hot.