Gordon Ramsay has shared a quick and easy guide to achieving “perfectly” cooked rice that comes out “light, fluffy and delicious” every time. The celebrity chef explained the step-by-step process of his tried-and-tested cooking method in a video posted to his official YouTube channel.
If your rice ends up clumpy, soggy, or undercooked, you’re probably making a few small but critical errors. According to the TV star, washing the rice is the first step in the right direction. Another important part of the process is infusing it with flavour, but surprisingly, this doesn’t mean seasoning after cooking.
How to cook the perfect fluffy rice
1. Wash the rice thoroughly
Start with rinsing. the restaurateur always begins by washing basmati rice under cold running water to remove surface starch as to avoid stickiness or clumping.
He said: “What I’m gonna do is just rinse off the dust and the starch, [use] cold water always and just rinse the rice to stop it from becoming clumpy in the pan.”
2. Season and infuse for flavour
Once washed, place the rice in a pan and season with salt and pepper, and if you want to take it further, the chef recommends adding aromatics.
He explained: “To make a plain fluffy rice exciting, we’re going to infuse it [with] three cardamom pods. Just get the pods and just pierce them so it allows all that flavour to come out.
“Then star anise, these are beautiful…it makes the rice really nice and fragrant.”
3. Measure water correctly
Accurate water-to-rice ratio is essential, with Ramsay advising: “One part rice to one and a half part water.”
In his demo, that meant 400g rice and 600ml water. Getting this right avoids both mushy and undercooked rice.
4. Control the temperature
Start cooking with cold water, then raise the heat quickly before letting it simmer for eight to 10 minutes.
Ramsay warned against lifting the lid up, as letting the rice steam undisturbed ensures even cooking.
5. Rest and fluff
After simmering, allow the rice to rest off the heat for 10 minutes. Then fluff with a fork to separate the grains.
“Once you’ve forked it through it becomes really nice, light and fluffy, and then, that is perfectly cooked rice,” Ramsay said.