Quote:
Originally Posted by Trefle
Hmm, as someone who began to grow interest in brown rice I was wondering : how did you guys cook it? In a rice cooker, in a stove or something?
I was planning to buy brown rice but the house only has one rice cooker (and they eat white rice) so I couldn't cook it there...I'm considering cooking it with the stove but won't that be a risotto? Would a brown rice risotto taste good?
I've got to warn you - I've only ever cooked ANY rice on the stove, so I can't compare it to other methods. I've seen people talk about cooking rice in the oven, which I'd like to try just for fun, but haven't gotten around to yet. And I've never used a rice cooker - for the once or twice a month I eat rice, I can't spare the counter space.
Brown rice takes longer to cook on the stove than white - about 45 minutes. I just bring the water to a boil (1 3/4 or 2 cups water per cup of rice), stir in the rice, turn down the heat to a very slow simmer, cover, and resist any temptation to lift the lid or stir until the time is up.
I'm not sure what the exact definition of a risotto is, but it seems to require 1) adding the liquid in small portions as you cook and 2) stirring frequently so that the starchy outside layers break apart and thicken the mixture. I've also always sauteed the rice in oil or butter first, and used part wine and part broth/stock as the cooking liquid, but I don't know if those are true of every recipe. That said, you definitely can make risotto with brown rice... I think short grain would work best, and I don't know if it would be quite as thick as with white.