Rice Rice, Baby

Intro to Rice Cookery & Summer Wines to Beat the Heat

Welcome Fren 🏝

Ironically I had to rip-off Vanilla Ice to Headline a subject that most people feel is quite “vanilla” 😉

We are talking about Rice… Rice… Baby!

Has there been a food group more subjected to under-seasoning, boring, and insipid preparations? In fact, go to most restaurants where they have “professional” cooks and most likely you will receive an underwhelming rice preparation.

So why the disconnect? I think largely for 2 reasons. 1) Rice is one of the most plentiful grains on the planet. After corn, it’s the most produced grain on Earth. Excess supply, in general, leads to a lack of associated value. 2) Known as a potential blank canvas in the culinary world, most cooks take it to a literal meaning and produce rice that is mostly blank and unremarkable; hidden below sauces proteins and vegetables.

To be sure, Octopod had been cooking for a number of years before rice cookery was on the radar of “interesting”. Over the years, cooking with some rice-masters, discovering heirloom rice varietals and a more thorough appreciation for the impact of Rice (not only culinarily, but on the world economy as a whole) has Octopod reaching for rice over potatoes in most cases.

When properly prepared, rice can be a triumph of flavor, texture and pleasure. For example, the dish “Charleston Ice Cream” is nothing more than perfectly cooked rice, enhanced only with salt, pepper, bay leaf and butter…. using Carolina Gold Rice… it’s ethereal.

Sinple really

A Brief Primer

How do you distill 14,000+ years of cultivation into a paragraph or two?

You don’t…

But it’s important before moving through to specifics that we recognize how special rice is… one of the oldest surviving grains to be cultivated is feat in and of itself, but where did it start?

TLDR; rice cultivation began in Asia approx 14,000 years ago… within Asia (China, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Japan) is where 92% of rice cultivation still occurs. This is also explains why rice is so entrenched in these cuisines.

The first documentation of rice in Africa was approx 1500 BC, believed to be grown along the Niger river. Before disappearing completely and being replaced by Asian rice varietals brought by Arab settlers in 500-1000AD.

The Moors brought Asian rice to Spain, after which the Spaniards and Portuguese brought rice cultivation to the Caribbean and South America.

To cut a long, and interesting, story short. The proliferation of rice cultivation across the globe was largely brought through conflicts of expanding empires and religious conquests.

Know Thy Grains

Japonica and Indica are the two most culitvated variants of rice. Japonica being shorter, stickier grains (example Carnaroli, Arborio, “sushi”); Indica being longer, slender, less sticky grains (example basmati and jasmine rice).

When you look at actual rice classifications, the below will be helpful to keep in mind.

• Long-grain – Remains separate, light, and fluffy when cooked properly.

• Medium-grain – Becomes stickier and is great for making puddings or Italian risotto or Spanish arrossos.

• Short-grain – Short, plump grains become sticky and clumpy when cooked.

Preparation Cornucopia

Specific recipes will follow in future SubStacks… the Devil is in the details, so just take a look at this (non)comprehensive list of Rice preparations below. Leave a comment on specifics you are interested in and I’ll start posting recipes.

Pilaf, Dirty, Fried, Jollof, Paella, Sticky, Dolma, Purloo, Tahdig, Biryani, Risotto, Congee, Arancini, Middlins, Steamed, Bibimbap, Sushi-style, Rice Cakes, Cheung Fun… etc

Basics

A couple of things to keep in mind when buying/making rice.

1) Brand: Find a quality brand that you like; yes this matters. Especially with long grain rices, you’ll find cheap/discount brands have a much proportion of broken grains due to slip-shod processing methods. What does this mean? With a lot of the grains split, you leach more starch will cooking which greatly affects texture, grain singularity, and overall eating experience.

2) Aged Rice: Certain rices, like basmati, develop a lovely and more intense flavor when aged. Most middle eastern markets will carry a few “Aged” options. Try one or two out, I really enjoy them.

3) Rinsing: Long grain rices and sushi-style rice benefit greatly from rinsing (or if you are doing the middle eastern steaming method; rinsing and soaking). Any powdered starch that accumulates through storage and shipping can have an impact on the final product. It takes less than 3 minutes and is well worth the “trouble”

4) Soaking: Thai Sticky rice is an example of a rice that should be soaked overnight and then is cooked over a steamer to create the iconic “sticky rice”. this step cannot be skipped, so plan accordingly. It’s a very simple preparation.

5) Equipment: A lot of people swear by rice cookers. Most of the time I find myself making rice on the stove top; I love the reps and also been doing the steaming method a lot, lately (rinsing, soaking, blanching, then steaming to finish; alla the Persian Herbed Rice with bottom crust 🤤 ). Having said that, if you are going to get one rice cooker, I fully endorse Zojirushi. The Japanese have again perfected a machine, and this is my rice cooker of choice. Great warranty, expertly made and consistent AF. Turns out great rice, and good steaming capability.

This Intro will serve as a foundation as we breakdown specific rice preparations in the future. Comment on specific rice preps you are interested in.

Summertime Wines

Currently trying to beat the heat, especially if grilling or BBQ’ing outdoors with friends.

If you’re looking for some great summer wine recs, check out a few selections below and enjoy the cool down!

Llopart Brut Reserve Rosé 2018- A superb blend of 60% Monastrell, 20% Garnatxa, 20% Pinot Noir made in the traditional champagne style. Bangin’ value and well made by a family that has been growing vines in Spain since the 1300’s. Drink with Paella, Smoked Chicken, or a Spicy Seafood Boil… you will not be disappointed.

A.A. Badenhorst "Secateurs" Chenin Blanc 2020- If you’re new to Chenin Blanc, this will make you fall in love with South African Chenin Blanc. Dry, ripe fruit flavors, with a juicy acidity makes it perfectly crushable during high heat months. I can personally vouch for any wines made by Adi Badenhorst; a true terrior winemaker and fun to party with 😂 . The Secateurs line is a great entry level and very budget friendly.

Lambrusco- Yes, I said Lambrusco… if you’re thinking of the sparkling Italian red that was popular in the 80’s, served over ice cubes, and tasting like fizzy Grape Kool-Aid… take heart, Fren. There are a ton of great Lambrusco options that are tasty AF. Fruit forward (strawberry, raspberry, cherry), with a hint of residual sugar, and pinch of acid, these are perfect for high heat weather… and thankfully not even close to the atrocities of the past! Grilling some skirt steaks? Or smoking some turkey? Or a platter of charcuterie and cheeses? Lambrusco is the ticket for you.

Note: I did not include a specific label on this; contact your local friendly wine retailer, based on availability and geography, they will be able to get you sorted.

Until next time! 🥂