Fluffy Rice

Adapted from The Best Recipe.

This recipe is for fluffy, separate white rice - not for rice to be eaten with chopsticks. You may also cook long-grain rice in a rice-cooker without oil for a more delicate flavor. This recipe uses techniques for preparing rice pilaf.

1 cup rice
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, unsalted butter or a combination
1 1/2 cups water (proportionately less water for more rice: 2 3/4 cups water for 2 cups rice, etc.)
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

Place oil in a heavy-bottomed 2 to 2 1/2 quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and heat over medium heat. Add rice and saute for one to three minutes, depending on the amount of nutty flavor you want. I go for one minute unless preparing a pilaf-like dish.

Add water and salt and bring to a boil. Swirl pan to distribute rice evenly. Cover tightly, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to sit for an additional 15 minutes without lifting the lid.

How I do it: I usually add a little more water than called for in the recipe above, and cook for 18 minutes before allowing the rice to sit for the additional 15 minutes to finish cooking. For example, for 4 cups dry rice, I have used almost 3 Tablespoons oil, 6 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt, cooking in a kettle for 18 minutes after bringing to a boil, then allowing to continue cooking after turning off the heat. On my stove, the heat setting must be a notch above "low" in order for the rice to cook completely.

You may also need more water than the recipe above specifies if the lid to your pan does not fit tightly. You may need both a longer cooking time and more water if preparing rice at high altitude. If you are planning to serve rice for a crowd, do a trial run in advance to be sure that your rice will be thoroughly cooked at the heat setting and in the pan you choose. Rice cookers give reliable results as long as you are at a relatively low altitude.