perfect brown rice (no, really, I mean it)

This recipe is pretty simple, and it doesn’t have any pictures.  Why?  Because I’m in the middle of finals and forgot to take a picture today before transferring the leftover rice to tupperware.  I thought I had pictures from the last time I made this rice, but I was wrong.

However, after my second resounding success trying this method of cooking brown rice, I couldn’t keep quiet about it any longer.  Especially since, with my finals schedule, the chances of me making even rice again any time soon are pretty minimal.

I love brown rice.  It’s delicious, and it tastes healthy – it has that ever-so-slightly chewy, very grain-y texture that tells you “Hey, this was a good choice.  This completely makes up for the jelly beans you just ate.”  But it’s hard to make.  In the past, when I’ve followed the standard method for cooking brown rice, it’s always come out a little soggy, or a little undercooked, or it all sticks together no matter what I do.  I could never get it perfect.  Until I tried this.

Perfect Brown Rice

Barely adapted from Pinch My Salt

• 1 cup dry brown rice
• 1/2 cube bouillon (I use Knorr, which has large cubes – you could use a whole cube if you’re using a different brand with smaller cubes)
• dash of salt (just a pinch if you, like me, shy away from heavily salted food that’s not Pringles; add more salt if you’re a salt fiend)
• 1/3 to 1/2 TBSP butter, optional

Fill a large pot with water – at least 4 cups, but preferably more.  Bring the water to a boil over high heat, and add the salt, bouillon, and dry rice.   Cover, and leave heat on high.  Try to leave the rice covered the whole time it’s cooking, but uncover it slightly if the water keeps trying to boil over.  You can also reduce the heat a little bit to prevent boil-overs, but make sure the water is still boiling.

Boil for approximately thirty minutes, or until the rice is tender.  It will likely still be the tiniest bit on the undercooked side, but that’s ok.  Remove the pot from heat.

Drain the rice into a colander, shaking the colander a bit to make sure all the water drains out.   Return the rice to your pot (still off-heat!) and cover.   It’s important that you cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid (or a loose-fitting lid, supplemented with foil), so that covered pot will create steam and cook the rice a little bit more.   Let rest for ten minutes.

After the ten minutes are up, uncover the pot, stir the price, add in the butter, if using, and serve.  Enjoy!