For perfect rice, this Jamie Oliver ‘foolproof’ recipe will ensure you get a delicious, fluffy result every time. The expert cook has also added some top tips to add exciting flavours to your soft, light rice, once you’ve perfected the result – soon you’ll be cooking it like a pro.
It takes just 25 minutes for this rice side to be ready – and when you get it right, light and fluffy rice really is an ideal accompaniment to many other dishes. Whether you’re cooking meat, fish, chicken, vegetarian or vegan dishes – rice complements all of these. Rice goes with soy sauce, curry, eggs, beans or anything you fancy, the adaptable side dish really pairs well with anything you choose.
Once you learn just how easy it is to get the perfect soft, fluffy rice that doesn’t stick together, you’ll be cooking this up regularly.
It’s a quick dinner or lunch and rice is a healthy staple grain to add to your diet.
Rice contains nutrients (especially brown rice) and both white and brown is a great carbohydrate source – providing energy for the body.
By following Jamie Oliver’s expert tips, you can enjoy the best rice as often as you want – and he has some flavoursome options to adapt the method once you’ve nailed it.
Firstly, put a large pan of salted water on a high heat and bring to the boil, Jamie explained.
Then, “rinse the rice in a colander under running water for about 1 minute, or until the water runs clear.”
Rinsing before cooking ‘will stop the grains sticking together later’, the chef advised.
Jamie set out the next steps on his website: “Add your rice to the boiling water and wait for the grains to start dancing around – from that point, boil for 5 minutes.”
Then he said you must ‘drain the rice in a colander’, before pouring 2.5cm of water into the pan.
Now, pop the rice back on the heat and ‘bring it to the boil again, then turn down to a simmer’.
The next stages in Jamie’s recipe are to ‘cover the rice in the colander with foil or a lid’.
Then you need to ‘place the colander on top of the pan of simmering water and let the rice steam over it for 8 to 10 minutes’.
Now, remove the pan from the heat and ‘if you’re ready, serve immediately’, the chef said.
If you’re not serving it right away, then ‘leave the foil or lid on and put aside until ready to serve’.
The boiled rice will stay warm for about 20 minutes in the pan if covered, but you will have the ideal fluffy rice to accompany your main meal.
Jamie also gave some top tips for professional flavour once you get the hang of the boiling method for perfect rice.
He suggested this if you want to add flavour to it: “Try boiling things like fresh herbs, a cinnamon stick, a few cardamom pods, a strip of lemon zest or even a green tea bag in the water with the rice.”
Jamie explained that ‘any flavouring you boil with the rice will infuse it with wonderful fragrances and flavours’, so you can experiment with different infusions to complement the rest of your meal.