PERFECT RICE
All is not created equal — know your grains
As I write this I am sitting in a small restaurant in Porto, Portugal, having just inhaled a vast portion of the local speciality of arroz de Marisco, or seafood rice. It arrived in a closed cast-iron casserole dish and when the waiter lifted the lid it looked rather like a pot of tomato soup.
And then he started to stir it. Up from the deep came the prawns, the clams, the mussels and a mountain of creamy rice. It
was so delicious and the rice was perfectly cooked, the grains toothsome and yet creamy, something you might not expect with so much liquid being used. But herein lies the essence of the dish — the particular rice, more like a risotto rice than the bomba or calasparra rice that the Spanish use for their seafood paella.
I asked the waiter if he knew the name of this rice and he advised me it was called carolino, a native short-grain rice variety that’s similar to the Italian arborio. I discovered that there are two varieties of rice cultivated in Portugal, one a shortgrain, and the other a long-grain type (the Portuguese eat about four times more rice than anyone else in Europe — who knew?).
Like the Italian arborio, carnaroli and vialone nano rice varieties, carolino rice is rich in starch (making it great for creamy risotto and wet dishes like my arroz de Marisco) but its high amylose content allows it to keep its shape and absorb lots of liquid during cooking. The long-grain indica variety agulha, which is also grown here, is commonly served as a side dish or in oven-baked rice dishes where you want the rice grains to be separate and fluffy.
Knowing which rice to use for which dish is key to successful rice cooking. When you want a creamy texture that holds it shape you need a variety like arborio, carnaroli, vialone nano or, if you can find it, Portuguese carolino rice. You can add as much liquid as you like and, as long as you don’t exceed the cook time, the rice will keep its shape. For paella, you want bomba or calasparra rice — both shortgrain varieties cultivated in Spain, which are capable of absorbing a lot of liquid without turning to mush. If you’re looking for separate grains that don’t cling together, you want a long-grain rice variety. The key to ensuring long-grain rice doesn’t turn to mush is not to use too much liquid. A ratio of one cup of rinsed, drained long-grain rice to 1⅓ to 1½ cups of water will give you perfect fluffy rice every time. Bring to a boil, stir, cover and cook for 12 minutes then rest without uncovering for at least 8 minutes before fluffing with a fork or chopsticks. Perfect rice every time.