Tired of making lousy rice? There's one simple thing you can avoid to make it better every time. Let's take a closer look at Rachael Ray's helpful rice-cooking tip.
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00:00Tired of making lousy rice? There's one simple thing you can avoid to make it better every
00:05time. Let's take a closer look at Rachel Ray's helpful rice cooking tip.
00:09Short-grain rice, long-grain rice, arborio rice, brown rice, black rice, basmati rice,
00:14sushi rice — there's a wide world of rice out there, and each type has its own particular
00:19qualities. And when it comes to cooking, rice raises many questions. Do you rinse the rice
00:23first? How much water do you use? How much rice do you need? Do you stir the rice? Is
00:27it a good idea to add salt? Can it be made in an instant pot?
00:31Rice might seem simple on the surface, but there are a lot of tips, tricks, and expert
00:35information out there about cooking a perfect batch. Clearly, it's not always as simple
00:39as following the directions on the back of the box or bag.
00:42As prolific cookbook author and celebrated food TV personality Rachel Ray says on Instagram,
00:47the instructions on the package might not apply to your particular stove.
00:50In a recent short but very useful Instagram reel, Ray promised that she could offer a
00:55tip that would allow home cooks to get perfect rice every time. It's a tip that falls more
00:59under the category of a don't than a do, and could make the difference between almost perfectly
01:04cooked rice and actually perfectly cooked rice.
01:07If you're using a pan with a clear lid, like Ray is in the video, and can see that the
01:11water is absorbed, resist the urge to remove the lid and give the rice a stir. Like meat,
01:16rice needs to rest for a little while to really finish cooking.
01:19It literally needs to rest with the lid on to finish its process. So, you just gotta
01:25keep kinda half an eye on it."
01:26You don't achieve superstar status as the queen of 30-minute meals without having a
01:30whole bunch of time-saving tips and tricks — kitchen hacks, if you will — up your
01:34sleeve. Rachel Ray has tons of them, and she's adding more all the time. Her daytime series,
01:40The Rachel Ray Show, has even carved out time for so-called tip-offs, which are entire episodes
01:44devoted to sharing her favorite Cooking 101 kitchen skills. And the tips don't end with
01:49rice.
01:50Making a Mexican-style meal or appetizer spread for family or friends? You're probably going
01:54to want some guacamole. To make the job easier and quicker, Ray places a baker's cooling
01:59rack over a big bowl, slides halved ripe avocados across the grates, and squishes them through
02:04using the palm of her hand. But the tips don't stop on the stove. According to Rachel Ray,
02:08the only thing better than bacon sizzling on a stovetop is bacon cooked to perfection
02:13in the oven.
02:14Ray roasts her bacon on a slotted broiler pan to make sure she gets even cooking. Plus,
02:19you don't have to keep flipping the slices, and you don't even need to worry about splatters.
02:23But let's circle back to rice. Apparently, cooking rice is something many home cooks
02:27struggle with, which is why Ray is not the only food personality who's gotten attention
02:31for their hacks. In a video on YouTube that has racked up more than 5 million views, celebrity
02:35chef Gordon Ramsay takes viewers through the paces of making perfect rice, including mistakes
02:40to avoid and ways to add fragrance and flavor.
02:43First, Ramsay recommends starting with basmati rice, which he dubs superior to all other
02:48varieties. Rinse the rice under cold water to remove dust and starch from the grains.
02:52What's the proper ratio of rice to water? According to Ramsay, it's one part rice to
02:57one and a half parts cold water. The chef favors adding flavor to rice before cooking,
03:01in the form of cardamom pods, star anise, black pepper, and salt.
03:05Ramsay's procedure is a bit of a departure from Rachel Ray's, but the celebrity chefs
03:09can agree on one thing — don't lift the lid during cooking. Ramsay likes to bring
03:13his rice to a quick boil, then reduces the heat so that the rice can steam for 10 to
03:1812 minutes.
03:19While Ramsay leaves the lid on for cooking, he doesn't agree with Ray on the need for
03:22a rest period. Instead, he immediately lifts the lid, fishes out the spices, and fluffs
03:27the rice with a fork to get the perfect texture. You're just going to have to try each method
03:31to see which one works best for you.