A few of years ago a young Japanese friend was staying with us. She wanted to cook us a typical Japanese meal. "Where"s your rice" she asked. Big bag of rice was put on the bench.
Now "Can I have your Rice Cooker" ??!!!
" We dont have one" I said.
How do you ever manage to cook Rice she asked?? I realised that she was a modern electronic age teenager, who had never seen rice cooked other than in a automated Rice Cooker.
I showed her the absorption method of cooking rice. She wondered if her Mother knew how to cook it that way.
I was taught this method by a Chineese Ships Cook in Liverpool in 1965. Works well with all quantities of rice I have ever cooked.
Absorption Method of Cooking Rice.
Use a suitable sized saucepan with a good lid.(Use a plate for a lid if no lid is available)
Add the quantity of Rice for cooking.( I use two of my handfulls of rice, per person, as my measure)
Wash the rice in cold water as required till water runs clear, draining the cold water out.
Shake the pot to level the rice out across the bottom of the pan
Then keeping the pot level add cold water. Place the tip of your longest finger so it just touches the top of the levelled rice. Dont push it into the rice
Keep adding the cold water till it reaches the first joint above your fingernail(this might vary from person to person depending on you finger length, mine equals about 20 mm )
With the Lid Off. On a high heat. Bring the rice and water to a rapid boil.
When there are lots of steam bubbles erupting in the water. Give the rice a stir with a chop stick or fork.
Remove the pan from the heat put the lid on. And that is it for 20-30 minutes.
You can now start cooking the rest of the meal as the rice looks after itself and finishes cooking.(If you are camping in cold weather you might find you have to wrap the saucepan in something to keep it warm)
Just before serving stir again with the chop stick and fluff up the rice. All the water should have been absorbed and the rice should be still hot and cooked perfectly.
Experiment with this method as it is a great time saver.
Regards. Mike
-- Edited by elliemike on Sunday 1st of November 2009 06:01:16 PM
-- Edited by elliemike on Sunday 1st of November 2009 08:14:03 PM
I have not tried it but I think this is more or less the method suggested when using a Dream Pot or Shuttle Chef although your use of a "digital" measuring device to get the water quantity right is unique.
When I was a Meals on Wheels volunteer we used (and they still do) a similar method to cook rice in a large tray in a steam oven (Kombi Rationale). When the tray was removed from the oven the rice was still very sloppy but after about 20 minutes in a food warmer (90 degrees c) it was nice and fluffy.
I use one of those el cheapo microwave rice steamers in the microwave and get good results... ok if one has a microwave and 240volt power available.
Yep used to observe the ships cooks on other various ships doing rice in flat trays in the oven. Most of them seemed to like adding half a pound of butter just placed on the top of the rice before it went into the oven. Trying to make it Risotto like I suppose.
I was an engineer only going into the galley to fix something not working right. It was always interesting seeing how they cook stuff for 50+ people three times a day. Oh and cakes for Smoko's Sometimes it was just one cook and a galley boy. Plus first job of the day every day at 0600hr. "Bread" and Bread rolls.
One Geordie cook told me. " You never issue fresh bread that was baked on the day". Always keep it back to be issued the next day. Otherwise he would have to bake twice as much.
Onya E/M, good stuff you have done here. Simple and quality cooking on the road.
While I understand the cook about day old bread, its must be devoured on the day, lots of butter (real butter) and jam, made by some old lady in her unregistered kitchen Come back nana for just one more round of fig jam.
One Geordie cook told me. " You never issue fresh bread that was baked on the day". Always keep it back to be issued the next day. Otherwise he would have to bake twice as much.
Regards Mike and Ellie
Problem is I bake my own bread and I've yet to work out a way that I can hide it from myself for a day
