Garlic and Herb Rice

Garlic Herb Rice

Rice makes a tasty and simple side dish. Some people have trouble making rice. I was one of those people for a long time. My husband taught me the easiest method. He showed me to just make sure I had three times as much water as I did rice, bring the water to a boil, add the rice and boil for 20 minutes and then drain. This works, but you cannot really flavor the rice. And sometimes you want flavor.

So, I practiced and practiced and threw away or choked down as much rice as I happily ate. I can now make a pot of wonderful, fluffy, tender separate grains of joy every time. Follow these instructions exactly and you will have success, too. 

If you want to change this up a bit, I have a few suggestions. You can substitute any herb for the chives. If you use thyme or basil use ½ tablespoon. If you are using rosemary, just throw in a whole sprig with the garlic and remove before serving. You could also toss in a tablespoon of toasted, chopped pecans or slivered almonds with the herbs.

Servings: 3 cups of rice, serves 4-6

Hardware:  A cutting board and knives, measuring spoons and cups, a strainer (sieve,) a pot with a lid, a sauce pot, a paper towel covered plate, a slotted spoon and a fork

Time:  Active time 20 minutes; Cook: 30 minutes, rice in about 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 4+1 tablespoons butter
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon chicken base (I use Better than Bullion)
• 1 ¾ cups water
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh chives
• Salt

1. Rinse the rice in the sieve until the water runs clear. Slice the garlic into thin slivers. Dice the chives, the smaller the better. Set aside
2. Put the water onto boil in the sauce pan.
3. In the pot with the lid, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the garlic slices and sauté until they just begin to turn golden. Watch them and stir often because they can easily burn. Use the slotted spoon to place them on the paper towel covered plate. Make sure you have removed them all. Set the garlic aside.
4. Add the rice to butter and stir until the rice begins to toast (about two minutes.) Add the boiling water and chicken base and stir until the base dissolves.
5. Turn the rice down to simmer and cover with the lid. Simmer for exactly 18 minutes. Remove from the heat, but do not remove the lid. Allow the rice to rest for 10 minutes. It is still cooking so it is important to leave it alone.
6. Using a fork, stir in the herbs, toasted garlic and extra butter. Taste and adjust the salt. Serve warm.