Are You Cooking Rice the Wrong Way?
Alison Cayne, author of The Haven's Kitchen Cooking School, explains the little things that can make a big difference when preparing this essential ingredient.
By Lynn Andriani
Not knowing your stove well.
After you combine the rice with liquid and bring it to a boil, you'll want to reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. The mistake Cayne says many home cooks make at this point is not using the lowest setting of the weakest burner on the stove. She says most of us don't realize each burner on a range is different, so "low" on one burner may not be as low as "low" on another. Find the one that's putting out the least amount of heat (the pot's lid shouldn't vibrate, and the rice should be very gently simmering inside) and use that one for cooking. If the flame is too high, the rice could turn out soft on the outside but still crunchy on the inside.
Published 07/20/2017