I love it when I discover an easy technique for delivering perfect results, every time. If you’re anything like me, steamed rice is always hit or miss. It runs the gamut from a gelantinous grainy mush, to crunchy little nuggets but then sometimes the elusive properly steamed, tender individual kernels of perfection. Steaming rice made me crazy until now…
The last time I was in Calgary, I was playing around with some Thai food recipes. Ralph’s not a big fan of curry, so I rarely get a chance to experiment when I’m at home but when I’m away… I prepared Massaman curry to be served with steamed Jasmine rice. Meggie asked if I’d ever used Jamie Oliver’s trick for making “perfect steamed rice”. I hadn’t heard of it and then proceeded to argue with her the entire time she was showing me how to do it. My girls are so patient with me… It’s stupid easy and the finished product has the same texture as rice made in a professional Asian kitchen. I’ve, since, used this method every time I’ve made rice. If you want flavoured rice, throw whatever fresh herbs or spices you like into the boiling water. It works like a charm!
Thank you Jamie and Meg. xo
PERFECT STEAMED RICE Jamie Oliver’s technique
SERVES 4-6
1½ cups basmati or Jasmine rice
½ teaspoon sea salt
Water
THE STEPS:
- Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to the boil.
- Rinse the rice in a colander under cold running water until the water runs clear. about 1 minute
- Add the rinsed rice to the boiling water.
- When the rice starts to rise to the surface of the water, boil for 5 minutes.
- Pour the boiling water and rice back into the colander.
- Place 1” of water into the same pot and bring it to the boil again.
- Reduce heat to low.
- Cover the rice in the colander with aluminium foil.
- Place the colander on top of the pot of simmering water to allow the rice to steam for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
- If you‘re not ready to serve immediately, leave the rice covered and set aside until you’re ready for up to 20 minutes.
THE LOVE: Don’t skip rinsing the raw rice. It helps to keep the rice kernels from sticking together.
NOTE: I tried the same technique with brown basmati rice. Even though I doubled the boil time, the rice was crunchy.
Thanks for reading.
Photography by Michelle Hooton
