Monday, September 08, 2008

Waiter, there's a Bud in my blog.

Cooking liquid

Whaaat? A Budweiser? Here? At Yours For Good Fermentables?

Why, yes! It's Rice Cooked in Budweiser, in 45 minutes, start to finish. (No Bud in the pantry? You could use a better beer. Read below.)

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RECIPE

yield: 3 cups cooked

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rice (long grain or brown).
  • 1 small carrot, peeled and diced.
  • 2 spring (green) onions, chopped.
  • 1 piece kombu.
  • 1/2 tsp. turmeric.
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt. (Omit if using commercial stock; most brands are heavily salted.)
  • 8 oz Budweiser or 'craft' lager. (see below)
  • 8 oz vegetable stock.
  • 8 oz water.
  • 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil.
  • coarsely cracked black pepper, to taste.

Method

  • Dice carrot. Set aside.
  • Finely chop one spring onion.
  • Clean the rice under cold water. Drain.
  • Combine water, beer, stock, salt, and turmeric. Mix well. Set aside.
  • Heat oil to medium-high. Add rice. Sauté for minute or two, coating all until aromatic. Do not scorch.
  • Add liquid mixture and diced carrot to rice. Bring to boil.
  • Immediately remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes.
  • Return to very low heat (gas) or med-low (electric).
  • Simmer for 25-35 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.
  • Remove from heat. Add chopped spring onion. Keep covered for 10 minutes.
  • Remove the piece kombu and discard.
  • Add coarsely cracked black pepper to taste.
  • Fluff and serve.

Addenda

  • For the beer, most NAILs (North American industrial lager) or ILLs (International light lager) will do. The beer reduces to a 'chickeny' flavor. Avoid a hoppy beer, however. The hops will reduce to an unpleasant bitterness. Likewise, avoid a stout or fairly dark ale or lager. The roast will darken the dish and add its own bitterness. If you know your beer styles, you could substitute a Dortmunder-style export lager, or similar, less-hopped, lighter-hued 'craft' lager.
  • If using commercial soup stock, omit salt. Commercial stock is already high in sodium. (Why not make your own stock?)
  • Turmeric adds 'yellow' rice color and enhances the flavor. It's pronounced "TURH muhr rick" NOT "tumor rick".
  • Kombu is edible kelp. It adds a savoriness to the rice: what the Japanese call umami. (Use a couple of bay leaves if you don't have kombu. Just remember to discard them after the rice is cooked.)
Beer: it's what's for dinner!

Beer Rice

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