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For rice pilaf, we recommend using long-grain rice. To wash it, pour the rice into a fine-mesh strainer and pass it under cold running water. This isn’t sushi rice so it’s not necessary to wash it thoroughly. The Japanese wash their sushi rice 7 times, in 7 changes of water.
You can add a bouquet garni to flavor the rice, even if it’s not part of the original recipe. You could call this a chef’s “whim.”
For 2 cups (500 ml) of rice, finely chop half an onion. Lay it flat and make some small cuts with the tip of the knife.
Then cut it in the opposite direction. Always cut round vegetables in half first and hold your fingers behind the knife to protect them. If the blade slips, it will hit the cutting board.
In a heavy pot, melt a large *** of butter.
Add the finely chopped onion and sweat over medium heat until transparent but not browned. “Sweating” means drawing the water out of a vegetable. The onion loses its white color. It’s an important step in bringing out the onion’s nice sweet flavor.
Sprinkle in the rice and let it color slightly. To make a good rice pilaf with nice separate grains, you have to thoroughly combine the rice with the butter so that each grain is well coated.
All that’s left is to add the liquid – preferably some good chicken stock. The secret is to use 1 part rice to 1 1/2 parts liquid. Wait until the liquid comes to a boil. You can see little “chimneys” starting to form. At this point, it’s important not to stir the rice, because it’s arranged so as to take in the maximum amount of water. If you stir it, it may end up rather crunchy and less tender. Cover. At this point, there are two schools of thought: either leave the rice to swell over low heat for about 20 minutes, or place it into a 180° C (350° F) oven for 25 minutes.
The rice is ready. There is no liquid remaining. The grains separate very nicely. It is perfectly cooked and the flavor is excellent.