It fell upon instructor Chef Samchet Chumpepo, at the French cooking school I trained at for a year, to gather up the after-class leftovers. It was an efficient kitchen with little left over after 24 hungry student-cooks ate their mistakes. Salads, chicken, fish, and bits of beef she’d trash. But every grain of rice was collected and saved as it’s the staff of life in Thailand. So too throughout Asia, Africa, and not much less so, around the globe.
Rice varieties abound, but for our purposes, go basmati or jasmine — both wonderfully aromatic. I favor basmati. You need nothing more than a soup pot to make the stuff. Electric rice makers, smart pots, and lengthy recipes are not necessary.
The basic bombproof recipe for 2 to 20 people:
1 cup of rice for two is plenty. Wash the rice thoroughly in cold water a couple of times. Put it into a pot and add water at a ratio of 1.5 parts water to 1 part rice. Bring to boil. Cover the pot and place in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees F for 17 minutes, regardless of quantity. That’s it.
Rice Pilaf:
Finely dice half an onion or two shallots and set aside. Wash 1 cup of rice and set aside. Melt a generous tablespoon of butter in the pot. Add the onions and cook briefly — don’t brown. Add the rice and coat the grains with the butter. Add 1.5 cups of low sodium chicken broth. Add a bay leaf, some thyme, and pepper to taste. Bring to boil. Cover the pot and place in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees F for 17 minutes.
