[Sca-cooks] how to cook 20 lbs of rice

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

"Vincent Cuenca" <bootkiller at hotmail.com> wrote:
>I know I got this info last year, but I can't lay hands on it just now.
>
>Does anyone remember HG Cariadoc's method for cooking large amounts of rice
>in a pot?  Specifically, how much water in proportion to the volume of rice?
>   I remember the method well enough.
>
>A similar method for couscous would be greatly appreciated as well.

Can't tell you Cariadoc's method, but i cooked couscous for 150
people last summer...

We used modern processed couscous - traditional couscous is cooked in
a special pot, called a couscousiere.

Anyway, we dumped several boxes of couscous into each of two large
aluminum baking dishes, poured in boiling water and covered the pans
with aluminum foil. Periodically i lifted the foil and gave the stuff
a stir. While it was still warm i added a generous amount of olive
oil, stirred it some more, and recovered it with the foil.

This was done at an outdoor camping event - we don't really have
feasts in the West Kingdom (although we do in various Principalities,
Shires, etc.), so this was unusual.

For indoor feasts, i borrow several rice cookers, and cook the rice
in that. It makes better rice, in my limited experience, than trying
to cook it on a stove or bake it in an over. AND it has the advantage
of leaving the the burner free and the oven free to cook other things.

Anahita