Rice Recipe

Rinse the rice

Place 1 cup of rice in a fine-mesh sieve or bowl. Rinse under cold running water, swishing with your hand, until the water runs mostly clear (about 30–60 seconds). Drain well. Rinsing removes excess surface starch for fluffier rice.

Combine ingredients

In a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, combine the rinsed rice, 1.5 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or 1 tablespoon olive oil if using). If using a bay leaf, add it now.

Bring to simmer

Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the liquid to a gentle boil. Stir once to ensure nothing is sticking, then immediately reduce heat to the lowest setting that still maintains a gentle simmer.

Cover and cook

Cover the pan tightly and let the rice cook undisturbed for 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time, as escaping steam will affect the cooking.

Rest off heat

After 15 minutes, remove the pan from heat but keep it covered. Let the rice rest, covered, for 5–10 minutes. This finishing step allows remaining steam to evenly finish cooking and makes the rice fluffy.

Fluff and season

Remove the lid, discard the bay leaf if used, and fluff the rice gently with a fork. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper if desired. Stir in chopped cilantro or parsley for garnish if using.

This recipe yields about 3 cups cooked rice (serves 2–3 as a side). For larger quantities, maintain the same rice-to-water ratio of 1:1.5 for most long-grain white rice and increase salt and fat proportionally. For brown rice, increase water to 2 cups per 1 cup rice and extend covered simmer time to 35–45 minutes, with a 10-minute rest.