I confess that I don't have anything handy in the kitchen and there are dishes that, no matter how simple they may seem, it is difficult for me to achieve a notable result. Among them is white rice. Yes I know, it is an extremely easy recipe, but getting a texture that is not very hard or, failing that, sticks to the pot, not so much. So I have set to work willing to improve at it and for that I have taken note of the best chefs: Jordi Cruz, Alberto Chicote and Dani García.
All these fire experts agree that cooking white rice is one of the most complicated things in the kitchen. So my desperation for not achieving that fluffy, loose and light result was not so wrong. The key is to put into practice a couple of tips, such as taking into account the type of rice used, the proportion of water and so on.
Choose rice well
Before starting to boil the water, it is key to pay attention to the variety of rice that we are going to use. Not all of them behave the same during cooking and each one works better in a different type of recipe. For preparations such as paella, varieties such as bomb or senia are usually recommended, while for a risotto, rice that releases more starch is sought.
If what we want is to prepare a simple white rice, Alberto Chicote and Dani García opt for long grain varieties, including basmati, jasmine or wild. This is because this type of rice tends to stay looser after cooking. Jordi Cruz also opts for using short, round grain rice.
A wash that makes a difference
Once the rice has been chosen, comes a step that we often overlook: washing it before cooking it. You have to rinse the grains several times and do so in a fine strainer, until the water comes out practically transparent. This is done to get rid of the starch that coats the grains. By removing it, we reduce the chances of the rice ending up forming a block and thus make it much looser. Jordi Cruz recommends doing at least two or three washes.
How much water is needed?
Alberto Chicote insists that the most common proportion is two measures of water for each measure of rice. Although Jordi Cruz, for example, uses 600 milliliters of water for 500 grams of rice. Dani García, however, suggests cooking it as if it were pasta: a pot with plenty of water, salt and a small amount of oil.
The secret is to control the fire
It is the most important step to obtain loose rice. After washing and draining it, we place the rice in a pot, add the water and a little salt and cover the container. Jordi Cruz insists on starting with high heat for about 4 minutes, which is approximately how long the water needs to boil. At that point, we reduce the power to minimum and let the rice cook for 10 more minutes. The most important thing is not to lift the lid during the process. After 10 minutes, we turn off the heat and let the rice rest for another 5 minutes, still covered.
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