I have a passion for rice. My grandmother Lucie was making the most amazing rice dish I could imagine. A simple recipe for sure, her secret: the quality of the rice! She was using rice from Camargue (French Provence). A bowl of fragrant rice with some butter, and I am a happy girl!

 Here, I am making an easy rice pilaf - made with long-grain white rice (jasmine rice or basmati), shallots, apple cider, and vegetable stock or water. It’s so simple and flavorful, you’ll crave it at least once a week!

 Great side dish for salmon, chicken, pork, or steak as well as spicy stew.

Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 25 mins Servings 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 cups white rice (jasmine rice or basmati)

• 1 tablespoon (15 grams) butter

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil

• 3 medium-size chopped shallots

• 1 cup apple cider (237 ml)

• 2 cups vegetable stock (474 ml), or a mix of water and vegetable stock

• 2 teaspoons (10 grams) salt

• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 grams) ground pepper

Instructions

1-   Place the rice in a strainer and rinse it thoroughly under cool water. Set the strainer of rice aside while you cook the shallots.

2-   Warm olive oil and butter in the saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until they are translucent and soft.

3-   Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat with olive oil or butter. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the tips of the rice turn translucent and the rice smells fragrant and toasted.

4-   Pour apple cider, water, and/or broth, add salt and peppercorn into the saucepan and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil.

5-   As soon as the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Cook without lifting the lid for 15 to 18 minutes. At the end, check that the rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes, adding some tablespoons of water if needed.

6-   Remove the pan from heat and let it sit, covered, for another 5 to 10 minutes.

7-   Remove the lid and fluff the pilaf with a fork. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Chef’s note:

·         For this recipe, go with a strong and/or dry apple cider, like Reinhart’s Red Apple, Pommies’ Farmhouse Ciders or a milder version like Lost Craft Apple Cider.

·         Use a little less liquid than usual and simmer gently. Instead of using the standard 2:1 liquid to rice ratio, use 1.5 cups of liquid for every cup of rice. This helps ensure a dry, separate texture. Once you add the liquid, stir the pot once and no more. Then let the rice simmer undisturbed for 18 minutes (rather than the typical 20 minutes). Again, the less the rice is agitated, the less chance there will be for starches to gum things up.

·         The finishing touches - fold in ingredients that add textural interest as well as flavour. Try uncooked ingredients like fresh herbs, nuts, and cheese, or precooked items like crispy bacon or caramelized apple.

·         Finally, these are two interesting articles about the fundamentals of making a tasty rice pilaf: Bon Appetit article or Fine Cooking article.

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Bonne Appétit!