INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
- 1 ½ cups white rice, preferably medium-grain
- 1 small white onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- Salt
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth or water
- 3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium (3-quart) saucepan (one that’s about 8 inches in diameter is perfect for even cooking) with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over medium. When hot, add the raw rice and onion, and stir regularly until the grains have turned from translucent to milky-white, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for a few seconds, until fragrant. For beautiful white rice, the grains should not brown.
Stir the salt into the broth or water (about ¾ teaspoon if using salted broth, 1 ½ teaspoons if using unsalted broth or water).
Add the liquid to the pan, stir thoroughly and scrape down any grains that are clinging to the side of the pan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat under the pan to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes—the temperature should be low enough that only the slightest hint of steam escapes from the lid.
Remove the pan from the heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Uncover and test a grain of rice: If it’s still a little hard, re-cover and set over low heat for about 5 minutes; if the rice has absorbed all the liquid (and is completely dry), sprinkle on 2 tablespoons of water before returning it to the heat.
As soon as the rice is done, sprinkle on the parsley and gently fluff the rice to release the steam and stop the cooking, then turn it into a warm bowl. It’s ready to serve.
