Never Mess Up White Rice Again | Epicurious 101

Chef Taka Sakaeda returns for another episode of Epicurious 101, today demonstrating his foolproof method for making white rice at home with consistent, restaurant-quality results.

Director/Producer: Mel Ibarra
Director of Photography: Joel Kingsbury
Editor: JC Scruggs
Chef: Taka Sakaeda

Director of Culinary Production: Kelly Janke
Culinary Researcher and Recipe Editor: Vivian Jao
Culinary Producer: Mallary Santucci
Culinary Associate Producer: Katrina Zito
Associate Producer: Tim Colao
Line Producer: Jennifer McGinity
Production Manager: Janine Dispensa
Production Coordinator: Elizabeth Hymes

Camera Operator: Jeremy Harris
Audio: Michael Guggino
Production Assistant: Kayla Zimmerman

Post Production Supervisor: Andrea Farr
Post Production Coordinator: Scout Alter
Supervising Editor: Eduardo Araújo
Assistant Editor: Ben Harowitz
Graphics Supervisor: Ross Rackin
Graphics, Animation, VFX: Léa Kichler

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0:00 White Rice 101
0:20 Chapter One - Prepping The Rice
1:52 Chapter Two - Cooking The Rice
4:16 Chapter Three - Letting The Rice Rest
5:23 Ready To Serve


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[dotmotion]

Love rice making controversy. Rice cooker vs. pot. Salt vs. unsalt. Let the drama commence

[exo]

The first two batches I've made had me never wanting to ever cook again but I followed this and I have no problem now, thank you so much!

[randyyeung]

have been eating rice for over 65 years, and taught to cook rice for dinner since I was 6, growing up as a latchkey kid with my single mom to have rice ready when she got home from work. No magic technique, just follow a few simple rules, wash a few times, fill the water to one palm thickness, boil then simmer and turn off the stove at 15 minutes, never lift the lid and wait for mom to get home with meats and vegetables. One big note to self - do not leave the house to play ball with friends until the rice is done and the stove is off or will be greeted by one pissed off mom and lots of scrubbing a burned out pot.

[nchaptini]

Thank you Chef Sakaeda. These are basics that we need to know (but often don't). Everyone with a basic kitchen/little storage thanks you.

[dushimedavid]

I tried this recipe. I made a few mistakes but that was the best white rice I've made in a year. THANKS EPICURIOUS!!

[davesraiders]

Do You have to add a little bit of oil into the rice water. before cooking?

[chaseweeks]

You can save a lot of time and a dish by just rinsing the rice in the mesh strainer. Just keep swishing it around under the water until the water runs clear and you're done.

[plokiju]

I love how rice is so wide varied and it all depends on the culture and type of grain. So much rice so little time.😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋

[theotherohlourdespadua]

Man, never knew people are so... diverse in their opinion in how to prepare rice. Might as well add my 2 cents in this: in my country (Philippines), we cook rice as follows:

1) Measure rice to be cooked. Good if you have a measuring cup or a pot that has measurements marked inside the pot. You can even eyeball it. You can use any pot: metal, clay, even large bamboo sections can be used.

2) Wash the rice. Rule of thumb, wash it with clean water until the washing is clear. What you do with the rice washings is up to you but from what I read (like those from Maria Y. Oroza, food scientist and inventor of banana ketchup and other food wonders) you can use rice washings for anything from soups and stews to desserts.

3) Add water to the washed rice. This is where debate about water-to-rice ratio is heavy, but in my country how much water to add to the rice for cooking is very much an exercise of trial and error; not all rice are the same, some require more water to cook (or else it becomes a hard puck when cooked, oftentimes a sign of poor quality rice), some require less water (becomes porridge when cooked). This is where the expertise of rice dealers comes into play as they can tell you which rice has what qualities you look for and recommend you this sort of rice variety. Everyone in my country knows not to use sticky glutinous rice beyond being used as desserts (kakanin) as cooking such is far more difficult and inedible. Do we soak the rice for 30 minutes like the Japanese? No, I personally consider it a waste of time that adds nothing to the rice. Do we salt the water before cooking? It never crossed my mind personally, rice is supposed to taste like rice: not tasteless or chemical-y. I mean you can cook the rice in a broth but that is somethibg reserved for special occassions not a regular meal.

Note: if you have no measuring cup at hand, I use the method my father showed me when he cooks rice (he never uses a measuring cup when he cooks rice): add enough water to the level of the first joint of your middle finger when you dip it into the pot. Don't dig into the rice level when doing this, only place it on the surface of the rice level.

4) Cook the rice. If you have a rice cooker then good, you can just pop it in there, press the tab and wait until it goes warm (note: the "rice cooker" in this context is not those fancy things the Japanese use but those cheap and simple ones one can buy from PRChina). Just remember to actually press the tab down to "cook" as the "warm" setting just evaporates the water from the pot leaving it undercooked and recooking it makes it edible but tasteless.

If cooking in an open flame (be it stove or brazier), I follow some simple rules of thumb:

A. Heat pot until it boils the water off. When there is no water in the pot, lower heat down and let it cook via the steam inside the pot. My method of knowing if the rice is cooked is by touch: if rice is sticky it's not cooked, if rice is not sticky it's cooked. However, limit the lifting of the pot to check on the rice because it lets out the steam, making the finished rice drier, harder, and slightly burnt. A pot with a glass lid is optimal in this so you can see the rice being cooked without needing to open it often to check if it's cooked.

B. Really keep an eye on the rice cooking process. The average cooming time for rice ia roughly 30 minutes (less than 10 minuties for boiling and the remaining 20 minutes for cooking the rice in lower heat). Rice WILL get burnt if left for too long. Keep an eye on the pot even when it boils because it will spill over.

[ropro]

Fool proof steps to cooking perfect rice: Use a rice cooker. Done. 😆

[ryhrmwn]

Whatever method to cook rice if it's come out good is good

[glynislailann]

I found these instructions on the packet of Premium Jasmine Rice I bought years ago which works for me: 1) Rinse rice. 2) For every one measure of rice add 1& half measures of boiling water. 3) Make sure the level of rice is even by gently shaking the pot you are cooking the rice in. 4) Cook on medium heat until holes appear on the surface of the rice. 5) Reduce heat to low. You may give the rice a quick stir if you like. Cover the pot & let steam for about 5minutes. 6) Turn the heat down until just before it is off. 7) Replace the pot lid & let rest for another 5 minutes. 8) Your fluffy white Jasmine rice is done. Enjoy.
This method is suitable for cooking all types of rice.

[AvnerRosenstein-ULTRA-LXV]

This guy is definitely a pro and knows what he's saying is true. Great tips he gave. I make rice a lot because my favorite is fried rice. Whatever rice you use the method will vary.

[Hrupix]

Until today, I ate my rice unwashed and undercooked to my preference. But after visiting a Thai restaurant, my view of rice changed! Now that I have seen this excellent guide, it is like coffee with so many variables; I have to purchase a rice cooker...

[toregenekhatun]

Would like to see different rice types and how to cook including rinsing those and time cooking. I tend to cook jasmine rice and unfortunately we have hard water it does affect cooking have found a filter to control it but sometimes it is not perfect. So how do you address that?

[violetx]

I was just complaining about how I can’t cook rice it always turns out a mess…amazing video !!

[janestwocents]

Super helpful! Mysteries unmystified. Brown rice please!! That is nearly insurmountable for me.

[kisham]

3mins in and I'm more confused about rice cooking than before I hit play. 🤦🏾‍♀️

[adb]

That motivational speech at the end was essential, thank you chef 🙏 🍚

[sabahatiftikhar]

Wow what a diversity. In my country the rice shouldn't stick. Each grain should be long and separate. If the grains are sticking together that means the cook has messed up😅