As many of you know, I’m a huge fan of Chef John, the original YouTube chef who’s been dishing out amazing recipes since 2007. I’m also a huge fan of butter, so when Chef John teased a recipe for cooking rice with butter, I took notice.
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As I mentioned earlier, the word “butter” gets my attention.
Yes, it definitely caught my attention. I mentioned this concoction before, back in February or March, but here is a diary entry I wrote about how I personally prepare this new favorite way to cook rice. So let’s get started.
So, my first digression is about salted vs. unsalted butter. Some things, like many baking preparations, require you to use unsalted butter, but for most things I make, I use salted butter. “But how can I control the saltiness that way?” you may ask. It’s simple. I first taste the butter to gauge its saltiness and adjust as needed. It’s not rocket science.
anyway.
So I started with just over a stick and a half of butter (almost two, to be honest) because that’s the way I do things. I squeezed some ginger and roasted garlic because it’s convenient. I also added some chopped onion, which I sauteed. Then I added some turmeric, the obligatory cayenne pepper, and a bit of brown sugar to liven everything up. I didn’t add any salt because it was salted butter, and because I was combining it with something that was already pretty salty, as you’ll see below.
I then added 2 cups of jasmine rice and cooked until every grain was coated in the delicious butter.
I changed the water method a bit because I have a lot of (relatively) cheap saffron — about $12 for a nice container — and I crushed a big pinch of saffron and poured warm water over it to make 3 cups. I let it steep for a while and then added it to the rice.
Standard way to cook rice: Once it boils, cover and reduce heat, cook for 15-20 minutes, then turn off heat and leave for 15 minutes to let the rice soften and become fragrant.
I paired this with pork roasted in the crockpot. Season generously with salt and pepper and let sit for 16 hours. Drain off the fat and liquid, remove the bones and shred. Then add rice to the rice cooker and stir. So tasty.
Next time I’ll tell you what I did with this technique.
Tonight’s WFD is an appetizer or something. I’m attending a jazz concert honoring my high school band director, which is an all-day event. This will be the theme of the top comments next Saturday. Make sure you tune in and read the article.
