How to Cook Perfect Rice.

Serves 4 · Prep: 2 min · Cook: 15–55 min

Make It

1. Rinse 1 cup of rice in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear.

2. Add to a pot with the water below, 1 tsp olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt.

3. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to the lowest simmer.

4. Cook according to type:
   White rice 1½ cups water, 15–18 minutes
   Basmati or jasmine 1½ cups water, 15–18 minutes
   Brown rice 2½ cups water, 40–50 minutes
   Wild rice 3 cups water, 45–55 minutes, until the grains split open

5. Rest covered off the heat, 5 minutes for white, 10 for brown and wild.

6. Fluff gently with a fork.

Notes

• Rinse until the water runs clear. That removes surface starch and is the difference between separate grains and a sticky clump.

• Keep the lid on. Every time you lift it you lose the steam that is doing the cooking.

• The rest matters. Fluffing straight off the heat breaks the grains and leaves the top wet and the bottom dense.

• Brown rice carries more arsenic than white, because arsenic concentrates in the bran. To cut it by more than half, boil the rice in 4 cups of water for 5 minutes, drain, then finish with 2 cups fresh water as above.

• Soaking brown or wild rice for a few hours shortens the cooking time and gives you a more even texture.

• Cook extra and use it in a Protein Bowl or Coco's Go-To Meat Bowl. It reheats with a splash of water.

• Counts as Complex Carbs at ½–1 cup cooked.