Traditional Rice Pilaf Recipe
This traditional rice pilaf is long grain rice toasted in butter with onion, celery, and garlic, then simmered in chicken stock until every grain is tender and separate. I finish it with fresh parsley for a side that is elegant but takes only 45 minutes start to finish. It goes with almost any chicken or fish I put on the plate.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ peeled and small diced yellow onion
- 2 small diced ribs of celery
- 1 finely minced garlic clove
- 2 cups long grain rice
- 3 ½ cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the butter to a medium size pot over low to medium heat until melted.
- Next, add onion, celery, and garlic and cook until tender while frequently stirring but not browned.
- Add in the rice and stir for 3 to 4 minutes to lightly toast.
- Pour in the stock, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Stir the rice, place on a lid, and cook over low heat for 18 to 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked and the stock is absorbed.
- Remove the lid, and using a fork, fluff the rice to break it up. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
The habit I never skip on this recipe is toasting the rice long enough that I can actually smell it, because that nutty aroma is the signal that the starch has set on the outside of each grain. Ever had any issues where your rice is clumped and you swore you did exactly what the package insisted? Well, this is what keeps the rice from clumping later, and it takes the guesswork out of the fluffy vs. sticky problem for good. Give it the full 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat and stir it the whole time so nothing scorches on the bottom.
Season the liquid, not just the rice: I salt and taste the stock before it goes into the pot. The grains only get as flavorful as the liquid they drink, so a bland stock makes bland rice no matter what you do after.
Adjust the liquid off the package: No matter what rice you use, when cooking it on the stovetop, cut the liquid the package suggests by about 15 % and the cook time by about 20%. This method is more efficient than the standard package ratio.
Skip the rinse if you want: Some cooks rinse the rice first to wash off starch. I am not sold it does much for pilaf, but if that is how you have always done it, keep at it.
Do not swap in brown rice here: I develop this recipe for white long grain rice. Brown and wild rice take different liquid and much longer cook times, so add them only if you adjust for that.
Finish with more butter for richness: For a richer pot, stir a couple extra tablespoons of butter into the rice at the very end along with the parsley.
Make-Ahead: I make this up to 1 hour ahead and keep it warm, covered, over very low heat until it is time to plate.
How to Store: Cover it and keep it in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.
How to Reheat: I warm the rice over low to medium heat with 2 to 3 tablespoons of stock or water per portion, stirring now and then until it is hot all the way through.
Freezing: Freeze it covered for up to 3 months and thaw it in the refrigerator for a full day before reheating.