# Rich tasting rice?



## Chile Chef (Nov 4, 2009)

At a Restaurant yesterday, I had a dish with mako shark & rice. The rice was rich and creamy but it was the basic white rice. I've noticed that they used coconut in the rice for texture and a touch of sweetness, however I'm still trying to figure out how they made the rice rich & creamy. I like to make it here at the apartment for when I can eat about a 1/4th cup of rice with my fish.


I'm thinking they used milk to make it creamy & rich?


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## luvs (Nov 4, 2009)

was it maybe risotto?


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## Chile Chef (Nov 4, 2009)

luvs said:


> was it maybe risotto?


I don't think so, Then again I don't know what Risotto look like?


I'm very sure it was plain ole white rice though!


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## mcnerd (Nov 4, 2009)

Risotto is a short grain rice and with coconut milk would be very creamy and sweet.  Your usual rice is long grain.


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## Chile Chef (Nov 4, 2009)

mcnerd said:


> Risotto is a short grain rice and with coconut milk would be very creamy and sweet.  Your usual rice is long grain.


This rice was short, but yet it was white? 


It looked like the typical uncle bens kind of rice, "although it wasn't uncle Ben's".


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## luvs (Nov 4, 2009)

sounds like risotto to me, hmmmm. it's very creamy, it's slowly cooked with plenty of stirring. the starch makes it creamy & thick.


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## Chile Chef (Nov 4, 2009)

luvs said:


> sounds like risotto to me, hmmmm. it's very creamy, it's slowly cooked with plenty of stirring. the starch makes it creamy & thick.


Thanks Luv, I may have to buy some next weekend at the store.


I really loved the taste and I never thought about putting coconut in the rice.


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## babetoo (Nov 4, 2009)

have a recipe for microwave risotto. will pm you recipe if anyone is interested


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## Chile Chef (Nov 4, 2009)

Babetoo, I'am interested. Everytime I try to make rice from scratch it turns out el_dente. And I am getting tired of el_dente rice.


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## luvs (Nov 4, 2009)

Chile Chef said:


> Thanks Luv, I may have to buy some next weekend at the store.
> 
> 
> I really loved the taste and I never thought about putting coconut in the rice.


 you gotta make it!


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## Dillbert (Nov 5, 2009)

>>tired of el_dente rice

have you seen / tried the Alton Brown oven method?

in an ovenproof pot, with lid, 
bring water & rice ( + salt & butter, as desired)
to a simmer.

remove from stovetop, cover, put in preheated 350'F oven for 15 minutes.

remove from oven, leave covered, no peeking! let stand 10 minutes.

I use a kitchen scale - 235 grams rice, 470-500 grams of water (for drier / wetter rice) - for a side dish I make it wetter, if for a sauced dish, I make it drier.  weighing makes for more reliable results than "by cups"

that's for Carolina brand white rice, you may need to 'adjust' for other brands / types.


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## Wyogal (Nov 5, 2009)

if you don't want it al dente, cook it longer.
Risotto is a method of cooking rice, so you probably won't find it  labeled as such on the shelf at the grocery store. If you make risotto with white rice, it will be white. Unless one puts other stuff in it that changes the color.


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## GB (Nov 5, 2009)

Wyogal said:


> if you don't want it al dente, cook it longer.


Well the other thing is that he might not be using enough water.


Wyogal said:


> Risotto is a method of cooking rice, so you probably won't find it  labeled as such on the shelf at the grocery store.


I don't agree with this. Yes it is a cooking method, not a type of rice, but marketers have started labeling their product as Risotto rice instead of Arborio or other short grain names. Not every rice maker does this, but enough do so that if you go into most super markets you will find something labeled risotto rice on the shelves.


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## Wyogal (Nov 5, 2009)

just trying to clarify...
it's still a method that works with short grain rice.


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## TheMetalChef (Nov 5, 2009)

Chile Chef said:


> Babetoo, I'am interested. Everytime I try to make rice from scratch it turns out el_dente. And I am getting tired of el_dente rice.



A risotto is supposed to be _al dente_.  Cook it past this point and it turns to gummy gluey mess.

If you're just making regular rice and it's coming out _al dente_, I suggest you make sure that you are:

1) Using a pot with a tight lid.

2) Adding sufficient water at the outset.

3) Not cooking it at too high a temperature.

4) Not popping the top to stir it every 5 minutes.


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## TheMetalChef (Nov 5, 2009)

Dillbert said:


> >>tired of el_dente rice
> 
> have you seen / tried the Alton Brown oven method?
> 
> ...



His method doesn't work particularly well for long grain Jasmin or Basmati type rices.  Temperature is too high for those dense grains to really absorb enough liquid.


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## CharlieD (Nov 5, 2009)

Hm, funny, I also was in restaurant and the rice was simple, almost on a dry side, not reach and not creamy. Each little rice grain was kind of separate, not sure what to call this kind of consistency. It was not aldente it was cooked completely thru, it was very soft, and it was very flavorful. I normally do not like any kind of rice, except fried rice in Chinese restaurant, but this was very yummy. It was long grain rice and it was served with chicken schnitzel.

 Since it is rice cooking thread I hope nobody minds that I am asking my question here too. Would you have any idea how to make rice like that? The flavor was of aah, maybe chicken soup, and if it helps any, it was an Israeli restaurant, and hey it was also in Florida.


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## Michael in FtW (Nov 5, 2009)

Chile Chef: Knowing what kind of restaurant you had this in might help narrow down the most likely rice candidate ... but it definitely sounds like coconut rice (rice cooked in coconut milk and water). There are several recipes: Google - Coconut Rice Recipe

CharlieD: When you make your rice replace the water with chicken stock - and cook it the same way.


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## jessicacarr (Nov 5, 2009)

maybe both milk and butter made it creamy


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## Chile Chef (Nov 6, 2009)

Michael in FtW said:


> Chile Chef: Knowing what kind of restaurant you had this in might help narrow down the most likely rice candidate ... but it definitely sounds like coconut rice (rice cooked in coconut milk and water). There are several recipes: Google - Coconut Rice Recipe
> 
> CharlieD: When you make your rice replace the water with chicken stock - and cook it the same way.


It's kind of like Traders joes crab shack, It was a seafood place that has Jamaica type food in it.


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## Michael in FtW (Nov 10, 2009)

Well, from everything I have been able to find - it was a long grained white rice cooked with a little more liquid than the rice could absorb in the time it takes to cook - sort of like what you have when you make rissotto. For example, given the standard ratio of 2 cups of water for 1 cup rice ... you would use 2.5 cups of half water and half coconut milk and then cook the regular way (bring to a boil, turn to low, remove from heat after 20 minutes, stir and put the lid back on, wait another 5-10 minutes if rice isn't soft enough). 

That's the general idea roughly. Anyway, it gives you something to play with. I would try it but I don't have any coconut milk.


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## Chile Chef (Nov 10, 2009)

Michael in FtW said:


> Well, from everything I have been able to find - it was a long grained white rice cooked with a little more liquid than the rice could absorb in the time it takes to cook - sort of like what you have when you make rissotto. For example, given the standard ratio of 2 cups of water for 1 cup rice ... you would use 2.5 cups of half water and half coconut milk and then cook the regular way (bring to a boil, turn to low, remove from heat after 20 minutes, stir and put the lid back on, wait another 5-10 minutes if rice isn't soft enough).
> 
> That's the general idea roughly. Anyway, it gives you something to play with. I would try it but I don't have any coconut milk.


Thanks Mich, And sorry about calling you Mike in my other thread. 

I'll give that a try next time I get busy cooking.


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## Michael in FtW (Nov 10, 2009)

Chile Chef said:


> Thanks Mich, And sorry about calling you Mike in my other thread.



Michael or Mike or Mic - doesn't matter which ya' call me ... just don't call me late for supper!


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## Chile Chef (Nov 10, 2009)

Michael in FtW said:


> Michael or Mike or Mic - doesn't matter which ya' call me ... just don't call me late for supper!


I hear you.

I tell people the same thing, lol.


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