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By Tamia Nelson September 11, 2001
If you've got a long memory and a taste for
quirky humor, perhaps you remember The Fall and Rise of Reginald
Perrin, a BBC comedy produced in the 1970s and aired on some PBS
stations. The hero of the series, a mid-level executive at Sunshine
Desserts ("Our pastry is FLANtastic!"), struggles to keep his sales of
exotic ices from sagging. When his division's profits melt away to
nothing, however, he gets the sack. Suddenly he's a house-husband. Not
surprisingly, he finds housework even more oppressive than his old job.
Vacuuming doesn't hold his interest for long, and he's not much of a
cook, either. One evening when his wife returns home from a hard day at
the office—she's been hired to take Reggie's place at
Sunshine—she finds that risotto's on the menu for the third time in
as many days. "What's this? she asks, with a mixture of muted annoyance
and weary resignation. "Risotto, again?!"
Well, I suppose Reggie's wife can be pardoned for getting a little
exasperated. After all, when she did the cooking, her repertoire
was much more varied. Still, she really doesn't have too much to complain
about. There are worse fates than facing risotto for supper, even night
after night.
What's risotto? It's simplicity itself. Just simmer short-grained
rice—Arborio, if you're a stickler for authenticity—in broth,
stock or wine, until it's tender and bathed in a creamy, starchy sauce,
and you've got risotto. Flavor with herbs, butter or cheese, and you've
made a great main dish. Include some freshly
baked breadstuffs to fill in any odd corners, and finish off with a
pot
of hot tea, and the result is a meal to remember. Reggie knew a thing
or two.
Rice. It's arguably the single most important food crop in the world
today. At least a third of the earth's population subsists on it, morning
and night, every day of the year. And for good reason—it's cheap,
it's versatile, it's filling, and it's nutritious. So how can you go
wrong?
You can't. That's why rice is the centerpiece of the evening meal just
about every other night when I draw up the menu for a paddling trip.
There are so many varieties, and so many ways to prepare them, that every
meal can be different. Given a little effort, you'll never need to hear,
"Risotto, again?!"
And you don't need to live next to an ethnic market. Even in the
Adirondacks, where bullhead feeds are annual institutions and fried bread
is a gourmet treat, local stores and food co-ops have at least nine
varieties of rice. In urban centers, there's no end to the choices.
Still, all rice falls into one of three major groupings based on size:
long-grained, short-grained, and (you guessed it!) medium-grained. Not
surprisingly, each type has unique cooking properties, but—and this
is a bit unexpected—each type also has a characteristic
flavor. That being the case, it's important to choose a variety that
suits the dish you're preparing.
Let's look at cooking properties first. The individual grains of
long-grained rice are much longer than they are wide. On the other hand,
short-grained varieties are stubby ovals, with a width that's not much
less than their length. And medium-grained rice is—right
on!—halfway in-between.
Generally speaking, short- and medium-grained rice cooks up tender and
moist, but clumps together. This is the sort of rice you'll find in
sushi. When long-grained rice is cooked, however, the individual grains
keep their individuality, forming a fluffy, less-than-cohesive mass.
That's why long-grained rice is the best choice for pilafs and cold
salads.
Incidentally, "wild rice" isn't really rice at all, but it's delicious
all the same. Its nutty flavor and chewy texture when cooked are quite
distinctive. You can also pop it like popcorn. Spread a single layer of
raw wild rice in a cast-iron skillet—there's no need to use
oil—and then heat till the grains begin to pop. When it's completely
popped, remove from the heat, sprinkle with salt, and eat. Popped wild
rice makes a great treat, and we'd have it more often if it wasn't so
pricey.
Back to "real" rice. Unadorned rice needn't be bland. Open a box of
jasmine or basmati rice and sniff. Both varieties have buttery aromas,
and when made up into pilaf, they give the dish a rich and delicious
undernote.
Still, rice doesn't shout. It whispers. That's why it's such a
versatile addition to the paddler's pantry. Rice is a great mimic. It
take on the savor of the liquid it's cooked in, as well as the flavors of
the other ingredients in a meal. The same rice base can therefore assume
many guises. One night it complements chicken, the next night it's
transformed into lemon risotto, and the third night it's a pilaf. If only
Reggie had opened a cookbook from time to time! Even with rice every
night, his wife would never have had cause for complaint.
However you choose to cook rice, keep in mind that you'll need two or
more portions of liquid to each portion of rice. This means that if you
use one cup of rice, you'll need to cook it in two cups (or more) of
liquid. And how much rice is enough? Generally speaking, one cup of rice
will be enough to feed two hungry people, especially when it's not the
only course on the menu.
What about brown rice? Good question. Brown rice is more nutritious
than white rice because it retains the bran coat and germ. Like wild
rice, it, too, has a nutty flavor and crunchy texture that makes for a
satisfying main-course. But you'll pay a price for all this goodness. It
takes twice as long to cook. Still, it's a great meal for a rainy day in
camp.
It's time for a few recipes. Let's begin with a simple rice pilaf.
This will feed Farwell and me to repletion, even after a strenuous day on
the water, and it will probably do the same for you.
Basic Paddler's Pilaf 1 tablespoon corn oil (or margarine) Heat the oil (or margarine) in a two-quart or larger pot over a high
flame or hot fire. If using diced fresh onion, sauté the onion in
the hot oil till it's soft. This will take approximately three (3)
minutes. (NB If using dehydrated onion, skip this step. You'll add
the onion later.) Then add the rice to the onion in the pot, stirring
them together until each grain of rice is coated with oil and slightly
toasted. Next, pour the water over the rice, mixing in the powdered
chicken broth. If you're using dehydrated onion, this is when you add it.
Now bring the rice to a boil, reducing the flame as low as you can
immediately afterward. Cover the pot. If the water still boils over, tilt
the cover slightly to release the steam. Simmer on a low flame till the
rice has absorbed nearly all the liquid—say 15-20 minutes. It's best
to check the rice after about 15 minutes. If it's still hard, drizzle a
bit more water over it. Once cooked, allow the rice to sit about five (5)
minutes in a covered pot, fluff with a fork, and serve.
That's just the beginning, of course. Rice pilaf can be flavored with
a lot more things than powdered chicken broth. Try mixing in a package of
instant soup mix, instead. Or drop in a vegetable bouillon cube.
Experiment with different soup-mix bases to see which you like best, but
be careful not to use too much powder. I've found that half or even
one-quarter of a pouch of Knorr or Lipton's soup mix is enough to flavor
a pilaf. Knorr "Cream of Spinach" soup mix is a personal favorite. Add it
to the boiling water, just before reducing the flame.
When you're ready to eat, garnish your pilaf with nuts or seeds.
Sliced almonds, cashews, toasted pepitas (squash seeds), sunflower seeds,
peanuts or pistachios are all great. Or mix in some dried fruit. Raisins,
chopped dried apricots, candied pineapple, even banana chips or flaked
coconut—all hit the spot. If you want a meat course, just stir in a
small can of chicken while the rice is still cooking. Fish? Try bonito
flakes or other dried fish. If, on the other hand, you're eating
vegetarian, but you miss the texture of meat, try stirring a half-cup of
"steak cut" TVP (texturized vegetable protein) into the water with the
rice, right at the start of the cooking process. And don't forget herbs
and spices: dried thyme and parsley, a rosemary sprig, curry powder, a
pinch of cinnamon, bay leaves…these are only some of the
possibilities. Let your imagination run riot. (But try everything out at
home first!)
So much for pilaf. If you'd like to emulate Reggie instead, here's a
simple risotto. It's just right for a riverside camp.
Reggie's Lemon Risotto
1 tablespoon corn oil (or margarine) Heat the oil in a large pot over a high flame. Add the onion—if
using a fresh onion, that is—and sauté till soft. Time? About
three (3) minutes. Then stir in the rice, coating each grain with oil or
melted margarine. Add water, powdered broth, and lemon juice (and
dehydrated onion, if that's what you're using). Mix well and bring to a
boil. Next, reduce the flame and cover the pot. Now simmer. Continue to
stir occasionally and cook till the rice is both creamy and firm. (Test
this by biting into a grain fished out of the pot. Don't burn your
tongue!) If the rice is still hard after cooking for 15 minutes or so,
add a little more water. In 20 minutes, more or less, it should be done.
Remove the pot from the flame and stir in the cheese and parsley. Cover
the pot again, and allow your risotto to sit for a few minutes. Serve.
NB If you have a few extra mouths to feed, or if you want a
heartier dish, stir in a can of chicken and a can of sliced mushrooms a
minute or two before the rice finishes cooking.
That's it. Rice. Simple and good. A complete meal in a pot. And don't
stop with risotto. You can do better than Reggie. Scan cooking magazines
and cookbooks for recipes which can be adapted for paddling. Experiment
at home. Two billion people can't be wrong, can they? Bon
appétit!
Copyright © 2001 by Verloren Hoop Productions. All rights
reserved.
Alimentary, My Dear
Risotto, Again? The Wonders of Rice
tamia@paddling.net
(serves two)
1 small, fresh onion, diced (or 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion)
1 cup long-grained rice
2 cups water
1 tablespoon powdered chicken broth
(makes two generous servings)
1 small fresh onion, diced (or 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion)
1 cup short-grained rice (or Arborio, if you've just gotten a bonus)
1 tablespoon powdered chicken broth
3 cups water
3 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh-squeezed or from a plastic dispenser
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dehydrated parsley
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