Rice is a versatile side dish, but it can often turn out bland. Food expert Emma Christensen from The Kitchn shared tips to make rice more flavourful and rich, including toasting grains and cooking in stock instead of water.
Toast Grains for Nutty Flavour
Christensen's first secret is to toast dry rice grains in butter or olive oil before adding water. “Toasting the dry rice grains in a little butter or olive oil before adding the water brings out their flavour and adds a fantastic nutty note in the finished dish,” she explained. This method works especially well with brown rice or whole grains like barley.
Use Stock Instead of Water
Her second recommendation is to cook rice in chicken or vegetable stock, whether homemade or from a cube. She noted that using 100% broth can make rice feel gummy, so she suggests a 50/50 mix of broth and water. “This adds a layer of flavour and richness without going overboard,” she said.
Season with Main Dish Ingredients
Christensen also advises seasoning rice with the same ingredients used in the main dish to weave flavours throughout the meal. She recommends whole spices for delicate flavours and ground spices for stronger tastes. She added that she “almost always” includes a bay leaf when cooking rice, regardless of the recipe.
