The Ultimate Rice Cooker (19 page)
CLICK TO SEE TWO RECIPES FOR ENTERTAINING
3. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 10 minutes.
4. To serve, divide the rice and vegetables into portions, or stir the vegetables into the rice, if desired. Sprinkle with the cheese and serve immediately.
baby artichokes and arborio rice
In the Puglia area of Italy, rice is cooked “Spanish” style, that is, similar to paella. Called a
tiella
, after the round terra-cotta dish it is baked in, the rice is layered with vegetables. You can use other Italian medium-grain rices in this dish, such as the Argentinean-grown Carnaroli rice imported by Lotus Foods. We must admit we have substituted frozen artichoke hearts for the fresh when artichokes are out of season.
MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) or large (10 cup) rice cooker; fuzzy logic or on/off
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 4
Juice of 1 lemon
8 baby artichokes of equal size
2 cups Arborio or other medium-grain (risotto-style) rice
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
2 medium-size shallots, minced
¼ cup minced fresh Italian parsley leaves
3 cups chicken stock
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1. Fill a large bowl with cold water and pour the lemon juice into it. Prepare the artichokes by bending the outer leaves back and snapping them off until only the yellow inside leaves remain. You will remove more leaves than you think you should; this is okay. How many you remove will depend on the size and tenderness of each artichoke. Cut ½ inch off the top of each arti choke with a sharp paring knife and trim the bottoms flat. Cut each in half lengthwise. Place the artichokes in the lemon water as you work to prevent dis coloration.
2. Place the rice in a fine strainer or bowl, rinse with cold water twice, and drain twice.
3. Place the butter pieces evenly over the bottom of the rice cooker bowl. Sprinkle with the shallots, then cover with the rice, then the parsley. Arrange the artichokes on top, stem side slightly down, pressing into the rice. Pour the stock over the layered ingredients. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
4. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, stir in the salt, pepper to taste, and cheese. Close the cooker and let the rice steam for 10 minutes.
5. Serve immediately. Spoon the rice and vegetables onto serving plates and pass more cheese on the side.
From the exotic South Sea islands, this fruit-rich rice is a natural accompaniment to roast pork or chicken. The vegetables and fruit will be tossed in at the end of the cooking of the mild curried rice. Use fresh pineapple, if you can.
MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;
fuzzy logic or on/off
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 3 to 4
1 cup long-grain white rice, such as basmati or Carolina
1½ cups water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons mild curry powder
1 green onion, white part and a few inches of the green part, minced
½ cup finely chopped fresh pineapple or canned crushed pineapple in its own juice, drained
1 cup seedless green grapes
¼ cup seeded and minced green bell pepper
1 cup diced cucumber, for garnish
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
1. If using basmati, place the rice in a fine strainer or bowl. Rinse with cold water and drain. Repeat.
2. Coat the rice cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray or a film of vegetable oil. Place the rice in the rice bowl. Add the water, butter, salt, pepper, and curry powder and stir a few times. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
3. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, sprinkle the green onion, pineapple, grapes, and green pepper on top of the rice. Close the cover and let the rice steam for 15 minutes. Stir the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon to combine. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the cucumber and with a lime wedge on the side.
This lovely dish, from Naoko Boerger, a Tokyo native who now lives in Palo Alto, California, is perfect for autumn. It uses three very different types of mushrooms, shiitake,
shimeji
, and oyster. The tiny
shimeji
mushrooms are sold in 100-gram clumps. If you can’t find them, you can use another variety of wild or domestic mushroom. The tofu puff, which you can find in the refrigerator case of Asian markets, soaks up the mushroom flavor wonderfully, but if you can’t find it in your area, leave it out. Naoko serves the rice with fried shrimp coated with bread crumbs, and a green bean salad with sesame dressing.
MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;
fuzzy logic or on/off
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 6
3 cups (4 rice cooker cups) Japanese-style medium- or short-grain rice
1 large fresh shiitake mushroom or 1 large or 2 small dried shiitake mushrooms
½ clump (50 grams)
shimeji
mushrooms
¾ cup oyster mushrooms
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce, plus more for serving
1 fried tofu puff (
abura age
;)
4 teaspoons sake
3 cups Dashi
1. Wash the rice. Place the rice in a bowl (or use the bowl of your rice cooker) and fill the bowl about half-full with cold tap water. Swirl the rice in the water with your hand. Carefully pour off most of the water, holding one cupped hand under the stream to catch any grains of rice that are carried away with the water. Holding the bowl steady with one hand, use the other to rub and squeeze the wet rice, turning the bowl as you go, so that all the rice is “scrubbed.” The small amount of water in the bowl will turn chalky white. Now, run cold water into the bowl, give the rice a quick swish, and carefully drain off the water as before. Repeat the scrubbing and pouring-off process two more times. By the third time, the water you pour off will be nearly clear.
2. Place the drained rice in the rice cooker bowl. Cover with a clean, wet tea towel and let the rice rest for 30 minutes
3. Set a kettle of water on to boil. Meanwhile, rinse the fresh shiitake mushroom, if using. If using the dried mushrooms, place in a small bowl, cover with water, partially cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high for 2 minutes, or cover with warm water and let soak for 30 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and thinly slice.
4. Break apart the
shimeji
mushrooms; trim and discard the ends. Wipe gently with a damp tea towel or paper towel to clean. Gently brush or wipe any dirt from the oyster mushrooms, then slice them, trimming and discarding the ends. Put all the mushrooms in a medium-size bowl. Sprinkle the soy sauce over them and set aside.
5. Place the tofu puff in a colander in the sink and pour boiling water over it to remove excess oil. Dry with a paper towel and cut into thin slices. Toss the tofu slices with the mushrooms and soy sauce.
6. Add the sake and dashi to the soaked rice. The dashi should not quite come up to the 4-cup level on the rice cooker bowl. (The mushrooms will contribute some moisture to the dish.) Add the mushroom mixture to the rice; stir to combine. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
7. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 15 minutes. Fluff with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon, mixing thoroughly but gently. This rice will hold on Keep Warm for 1 to 2 hours. Serve hot, with some soy sauce on the side, if desired.
Rice and beans are partners in all ethnic cuisines—rice and lentils in India, sticky rice and red adzuki beans in Japan, black rice and beans in Cuba. Here, rice, beans, chile peppers, and tomatoes, staples in the Mexican kitchen, are combined for a very simple all-in-one meal. Serve with warm corn tortillas. If you have an avocado tree or can find avocado leaves in a Mexican market, give that option a try.
MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;
fuzzy logic or on/off
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 4
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 cup chicken stock
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon olive oil, vegetable oil, or rendered chicken fat
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, halved, seeded, and sliced
1 jalapeño chile, seeded and minced
One 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
One 15-ounce can plum tomatoes (can be flavored with Mexican spices), with their juices
1 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano leaves or 1 small avocado leaf, toasted and crumbled
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
½ cup crème fraîche,
crema Mexicana
, or sour cream, for garnish
⅔ cup crumbled
queso fresco
(available in the dairy section in supermarkets) or feta cheese, for garnish
1. Coat the rice cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray or a film of vegetable oil. Add the rice, stock, and salt; swirl to combine. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
2. While the rice is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Open the cover of the rice cooker and add the jalapeño, onion-pepper mixture, pinto beans, tomatoes, oregano, capers, and a few grinds of black pepper; stir to combine. Close the cover and let the cycle complete.
3. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. This rice will hold on Keep Warm for up to 1 hour.
4. Serve hot, garnished with the cilantro, crème fraîche, and crumbled cheese.
Food historian and cookbook author Barbara Grunes uses her rice cooker for her home meals. Her recipe for chewy medium-grain rice with spicy Chinese sausage and cilantro is good by itself or as a side dish to serve with other Asian-style foods. The sweet Chinese pork sausage is seasoned with sugar, salt, and wine (look for it in the refrigerator case in Asian markets). If you want to vary the flavor, use cooked Italian sausage and basil instead of the green onions, cilantro, and sesame seeds. The sausage gently flavors the rice as it cooks. Look for black sesame seeds in Asian markets. If you can’t find them, use Japanese or regular white sesame seeds. The Japanese ones are more flavorful. This is a super-easy, satisfying dish.
MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;
fuzzy logic or on/off
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 4
2 cups medium-grain white rice
1 cup Chinese sausage (
lop cheon
) thinly sliced on the diagonal
½ cup thinly sliced green onions, mostly green parts
2¾ cups water
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds (
goma
), for garnish
1. Place the rice in a fine strainer or bowl, rinse with cold water twice, and drain twice.
2. Coat the rice cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray or a film of vegetable oil. Place the rice, sausage, and green onions in the rice bowl. Add the water; stir just to combine. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.