Brown Rice

[AxlRose]

I just started cooking and I would like to make Brown rice but my first attempt was a failure. It came out all mushy. So does anyone know how to make brown rice?

Thank you

[Chefcookie]

I guess I would have to ask whether or not your using long or short grain rice. If you're cooking short grain brown rice, then I would suggest using a slightly smaller water ratio than 2 to 1. for example, if you're cooking 6 cups of rice, I would use about 101/2 to 11 cups of water. Just cover, bring to a boil, turn down heat to low (maintain low simmer) for about 20 min until water is absorbed then leave covered for another 20 minutes, fluff and serve. For long grain, and basmati rice usually a solid 2 to 1 ratio is best, same methods.

[Suzanne]

Wait, are you THE AxlRose???? Whether you are, or just AxlRose, welcome.

Okay, brown rice. First of all, you do know that brown rice is just like white rice, but still with it overcoat on. By that I mean brown rice is a whole grain that hasn't been milled and polished yet. This makes for 2 big differences when you cook it, compared to regular white rice:
1. Brown rice is a lot healthier, since it still has the bran and germ, and so a lot of the vitamins and minerals; and
2. Brown rice takes a lot longer to cook, because the natural coating that's still on it sort of protects the starch inside from the heat and water.

There are two basic methods for cooking almost any rice:
1. the 2-to-1 method, in which you measure the rice and add twice as much water; and
2. the lots-of-water method, in which you dump the rice into a lot of boiling water (doh!) and drain off the extra water when the rice is cooked.

In both methods, brown rice takes about 40 to 45 minutes to cook all together. (If you add up the time that chefcookie gave, it totals to . . . 40 minutes! )

If you use the 2-to-1 method, you could use 1 cup of rice and 2 cups of water (or a little less, as chefcookie suggests), plus a little salt and a little butter or oil. Mix it in the pot, cover it tightly, bring it to a boil over high heat, and as soon as it boils turn the heat down as low as it can go and still stay on. Keep that cover on! After about 40 minutes, take off the cover and take out a grain or two -- it should be a little chewy but pretty much dry. If it's still pretty soupy, turn the heat up a little and leave the cover off, cook it for a while longer (like about 5 minutes), but keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.

If you use the lots-of-water method, just bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and dump in the raw rice. Let it boil for about 40 minutes, stirring every once in a while. Taste a few grains after 40 minutes, and if it seems done (again, just a tiny bit chewy), then it IS done. Drain it well through a sieve and serve.

In either case, 1 cup of raw rice will give you about 3 cups of cooked rice.

[AxlRose]

thank you for your help. I really appreciate it. I can't wait to use your directions!

Axl

[Pinot]

I use long grain brown rice , organic if possible.

I only cook my brown rice for 30 minutes , with lots of boiling slated water. I find 30 minutes is long enough and gives the rice a slightly "al-dente" texture.

Mix with a little butter and olive oil , garlic, fresh herbs and ground pepper and anything else that takes your fancy.

For variation I also add some black rice (which also takes about 30 minutes) and/or wild rice which I give 10 minutes head start on the brown and black rice.

Great taste and very healthy as mentioned. Our kids love it too !

[AxlRose]

Those are some great ideas. I never really thought about incorporating different rice. Thank you for the information.

Axl

P.S.

I like your name. Though I'm more of a Shiraz kind of guy

[Chef_Bob]

Funny you posted this. I began cooking in professional kitchen when I was 12. I have done fine dinning, catering, banquettes and just about everything you can name and for about 6 months brown rice was much worst nightmare. I burnt it, I under cooked it, I over cooked it, you name it. It got to a point where I was cooking it at home every chance I could just to figure out what was going on. What is my point? Some time you just need to develop a relationship with an ingrediant. All the advice given here is great but you may try it and still fail (if you are me you would!), just keep going at it. Rice is cheap, buy a big bag, get up early and don't sleep until you have the perfect pot of rice. Once you get it right once it's yours for ever. (I now cook a mean pot of brown rice and use it in everything!)

Good luck and keep cooking!

[Suzanne]

So, Chef Bob, what works for you?

[Chef_Bob]

Liquid to Rice Ratio of about 2.25 :1 , Good amount of olive oil. Bring to boil. Remove from heat and place covered in 350 f Oven. Remove from oven when still a very slight amount of moisture in bottom of pan and let rest coverd for about 15 min.

Works for Me!

[Suzanne]

Thanks, Chef Bob. You bring another good point to the discussion: cooking the rice IN THE OVEN takes a lot of the worry out of it. Don't have to worry about the rice burning onto the bottom of the pan, and the heat comes at the pot from all directions.

One of the first "precision" recipes I remember for cooking rice came from Craig Claiborne, who was so specific as to say to bake the (white) rice for EXACTLY 17 MINUTES! And it works!