[Sca-cooks] Cooking rice in feast quantities

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Ted Eisenstein wrote:

>>The solution is to bring the water to a boil, add the rice, bring it
>>back to a boil (stirring some), cover, turn off the heat and wait.
>>With large volumes, the rice stays hot long enough to  cook itself.
>>Since you are turning off the heat before the rice becomes sticky,
>>you can do it without scorching.
>>
>
> I've always wondered something about this method: as the water
> is absorbed and the water level goes down, wouldn't the rice on top
> get too little and the rice on the bottom get too much?
> Or is this a stupid question and I'm missing something obvious?

Depending on your method, this is to some extent true, but again,
depending on your method, while the rice on the bottom gets more contact
with liquid, the rice on the top gets more steam, so the impact of the
difference is less. If that makes any sense.

I've found that the method His Grace describes works especially well
with basmati. I've also had good results with finishing rice in a
low-temperature oven, either in a pilaf method, or what is known as the
Creole method, where the rice is boiled more or less like pasta for
about ten minites, drained, and either steamed or finished, again, in
covered pans in the oven. Obviously you'd need huge quantities of water,
though.

Adamantius
--
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com

"It was so blatant that Roger threw at him.  Clemens gets away with
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let him get away with it, it's going  to continue." -- Joe Torre, 9/98