Do The Rice Thing - Recap

The episode opens at a wedding, where Alton is discussing the storied tradition of throwing white rice on the newly married couple. Most people only know that kind of long grain rice but it is far from the only sort of rice there is. One of the best rice dishes, risotto, is made from shorter grain rice. When he was a lad Alton’s aunt and uncle took him to an Italian restaurant where he sampled risotto for the first time. The creamy texture and varied flavors proved to be a long time favorite and certainly... Good Eats.

Back in his kitchen Alton explains the differences between the kinds of rice. Long grain rice, the most popular in the United States, contains a great deal of amylose (a linear polymer of glucose) and less amylopectin (a branched polymer of glucose). These two sugar polymers form all vegetable starch but occur in different ratios in different plant species. Grain with a high percentage of amylose retains its integrity during cooking and does not shed starch into the cooking liquid. The cooked product will tend to be light and fuffy; long grain rice has this property. Grain with a higher percentage of amylopectin sheds starch into the cooking liquid and is stickier or creamier when cooked. Medium grain rice has a more amylopectin than long grain rice, and short grain rice has the most of all, so these varieties are good choices for cream rice dishes like risotto.

Alton selects Arborio for his risotto. Other varieties that would serve include Cannaroli and Vialone Nano. In the United States any rice of medium grain or shorter can legally be called risotto rice but for best results Alton suggests a short grain variety.

Alton calls the basics of risotto the “engine” because without them the risotto will not work. The ingredients in the engine are the rice, a cooking liquid, a broth or stock, an aromatic (often onion) and butter. Flavor ingredients such as vegetables, herbs, and spices always go in at the end of the cooking process.

Ingredients ready, Alton demonstrates the other half of the engine: technique. He starts with a wide pan and sweats his onion until transparent. The he adds the rice and stirs to combine it with the onion and butter. The butter will form a protective coating that prevents the rice grains from absorbing liquid too quickly. Keep the heat low; you don’t want anything to brown. While the rice and onion cook Alton heats a mixture of wine and broth in an electric kettle. He adds just enough of the liquid to cover the rice and stirs gently until the liquid is absorbed. Risotto must simmer at all times so the cooking liquid can’t take heat away from the party. That’s why Alton uses the electric kettle: it keeps the liquid hot. As the rice absorbs liquid Alton adds more slowly. As he adds more and more liquid he tastes the rice to determine when it is done. It may not require all the liquid a particular recipe requires. Some cooks stir constantly; Alton finds an occasional shake of the pan to be more effective. The key is to add just enough liquid to barely cover the rice; the grains must rub against each other. That friction encourages the release of the starches that give this dish its signature creaminess. When the rice in Alton’s dish is done he adds cooked asparagus and cooked mushrooms, stirring just long enough to heat them through. He finishes the dish by adding some lemon zest, Parmesan cheese and nutmeg, and of course salt and pepper to taste. Flavor ingredients can be almost anything you find lying around your pantry or cluttering the chill chest. Pre-cook them if necessary and always add them last.

Once the world get around Alton’s risotto disappears quickly. To quell his hunger he next tries brown rice.

When rice is harvested, the green husk is removed. What’s left is brown rice (sometimes called cargo rice). To make white rice, the brown bran is milled off and nutrients are (usually) added to enrich the grain. Brown rice is good all by itself – it contains vitamin B6, magnesium, and other nutrients. Rice bran oil even discourages the absorption of low density lipoproteins (so-called “bad” cholesterol). The bran coating acts like a little “rain coat” that makes brown rice cook very slowly, and also leaves it prone to scorching and mushiness.

Alton solves this problem by cooking his brown rice in the oven. He brings a mixture of water, butter and salt to a boil in a sauce pan and then pours this over some brown rice in a square baking dish. He covers the dish with heavy duty foil and slides it into a 375º oven for an hour.

This brown rice makes an excellent rice salad. Alton fries some bacon until it is crisp, crumbles it and then cooks a red onion in a tablespoon of the bacon fat. To the cooked onion he adds vinegar, broth, mustard, sugar, kosher salt and pepper. Then he adds the bacon and one recipe’s worth of the baked brown rice from earlier this episode, cooking all that until the liquid is absorbed. He finishes the salad with a little fresh dill. Unlike longer grain rices, this salad refrigerates well and can be kept for up to a week’s worth of snacking.

Altons tips on food chemistry and cooking technique open the door to a variety of rice possibilities. It’s nutritious, delicious and Good Eats!

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