The Ultimate Rice Cooker

by Julie Kaufmann

If you don’t have any cold rice on hand, go ahead and steam some rice in the rice cooker just for your fried rice. Spread the steamed rice in a single layer on a baking sheet and let it cool to room temperature. Place the uncovered baking sheet in the refrigerator for up to eight hours or overnight before using the rice. If necessary, the rice may be used after one hour in the refrigerator, if you run your fingers through it to break it up before using.

  Aromatics: Sliced green onion (white and green parts) is a popular ingredient in fried rice. Some sauté it at the beginning of cooking; some sprinkle it on top at the end. Garlic, too, makes frequent appearances. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Chopped or sliced onion works nicely, too.

  Vegetables: Quick-cooking vegetables can be added raw. The list includes Napa cabbage, bok choy, fresh or dried (and already reconstituted) mushrooms, celery, zucchini, green peas (these can be used straight from the freezer), shredded carrot, and many more. For veggies that take longer to cook, such as broccoli or carrots cut into larger pieces, you might want to cook them crisp-tender first. Don’t use too many vegetables, or too much of one kind; you don’t want to overwhelm the rice. It is amazing how good fried rice can be with just a small amount of vegetables. When adding raw vegetables, you may want to sprinkle on a few teaspoons of water to help them cook.

  Eggs: Scrambled eggs are a very common addition to fried rice. Some people scramble them, remove them from the pan so they don’t overcook, and add them back later. Others just clear a space on one side of the pan (or in the center) by pushing away any ingredients that are already there, pour in the eggs, let them sit till they are about half-set, then toss or scoop the rice on top, folding and scrambling the eggs to break them up and mix them with the rice. It’s an easy skill to master. You’ll want no more than one egg per person, and less than that is fine.

  Meat and fish: Raw or cooked, many kinds of meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish can be tossed into your fried rice with great results. Something smoked, such as bacon, a bit of smoked sausage, or ham, is nice; the smokiness adds an extra dimension of flavor. Here’s where you can use up leftover bits of this or that. Be careful not to overload the rice with meat, though. The rice should always be the most prominent element of the dish.

  Finishing touches: Finish off your fried rice with nothing more than a dash of salt, if you wish. Or go the next step and add soy sauce and a sprinkle of pepper, or use a couple of teaspoons or more of one of the many savory or spicy sauces on the shelf in the Asian section of your market. Black bean sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, chile paste—these or others will change the character of your fried rice. Curry powder is also good. Even ketchup is not unheard-of! Be sure to add your final touches while the rice is still on the stove. You want the seasonings to have a chance to warm up and gently blend with the rice and other ingredients. And, of course, don’t go too wild. One type of sauce plus soy sauce, salt, and pepper is probably enough!

  a note about msg: Many Asian home cooks add a seasoning containing the flavor-enhancer MSG to their fried rice: Ajinomoto (the Japanese name for MSG) is popular, as are Asian bouillon powders or powdered dashis. Feel free to sprinkle in one of these seasonings sparingly, if you wish. We’ve left them out of our recipes because some people have unpleasant reactions to MSG, and because we find fried rice very tasty without them.

  the basics:home made STOCKS

  Chicken Stock

  Turkey Stock

  Game Stock

  White Stock

  Potager Vegetable Stock

  Chinese Vegetable Stock

  Fish Stock

  Dashi

  Sharon’s Dashi

  Many of the recipes in this book call for the addition of a stock, a symbol of wholesome, healthful home cooking. A stock is made with a combination of raw, uncooked poultry, meat, or fish; aromatic vegetables; fresh water; and a bouquet garni, a bundle of herbs. These ingredients are simmered together until their essences have been extracted out into the water. Stock provides a depth of flavor not available from using just water. No salt is added so that you can season the final recipe to taste at its completion. Stocks are an important component of rice cookery and especially essential in pilafs and risottos. There’s no doubt—homemade is definitely best here. You will never imitate the quality and flavor of homemade stock with a can of broth or a cube.

  Making a stock (a word that is often used interchangeably with broth) is really very simple. A few minutes are needed to combine all the ingredients in the pot with enough water just to cover everything, and then it is left alone to simmer for several hours (the exception here are fish stocks, which are prepared in under an hour), until it develops its own sweet aroma. Vegetables from the supermarket produce section are as good as ones harvested from a home garden. Frankly, the simpler the ingredients, the better the stock, so resist throwing all those vegetable scraps into the pot unless you are making a vegetable stock.

  While the water is coming to a boil for your stock, prepare your bouquet garni. The combination of parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns is a classic in Mediterranean herb bouquets. Instead of tossing the herbs into the stock by themselves, the herbs are neatly placed in the center of a 10-inch square of cheesecloth and tied with some kitchen twine. If you don’t have any cheesecloth, just gather up the herbs in a small bunch and wrap with twine. A small bouquet garni will suffice in each of the following recipes. You can improvise with any combination of herbs you like—rosemary, sage, marjoram, curly or Italian parsley, even dried mushrooms and a hot little dried chile pepper. When you turn down the heat to a simmer, toss in the bouquet garni. During the final skimming, you will easily be able to discard it easily.

  Hardcore stock makers use their “special” stockpot—usually made from stainless steel or anodized aluminum like Calphalon—a pot that is deeper than it is wide. Never use a cheap aluminum pot or cast-iron Dutch oven; your stock will taste very metallic. There are many sizes of stockpots, from small to large. Buy one that reflects the amount of stock you normally make in each batch. The following recipes make small amounts of stock, so a medium-size six-quart capacity stockpot will do nicely and be easy to lift when full.

  Once your stock is done simmering, let it cool a bit (ideally to around 160°F); be aware, though, that you do not want your stock sitting around at room temperature for any length of time; otherwise, your nice, warm stock becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. Use a small saucepan or large ladle to transfer the still-warm stock to a cheesecloth- lined colander sitting in a larger bowl. Do this procedure over the sink, since during the process of straining there is the chance of splashing. The solids will catch in the colander and, when you lift it out, you can admire your beautiful, clear stock. After straining, refrigerate the stock until cold. The fat will coagulate on top and be easy to remove.

  Buy a variety of two- and four-cup freezer containers at the supermarket that stack easily in the freezer; the square ones are the most space efficient. The recipes in this book call for a variety of stocks, but please note that you can most certainly use what is at hand. Add a bit of salt and pepper and you can savor a bowl of stock on its own or pour it over toasted country bread for a great lunch!

  A WORD ON COMMERCIAL STOCKS AND BROTHS

  For the cooks who always wish they had luscious homemade stocks stashed in the freezer, but don’t, fear not; here’s what we’ve learned from extensive testing with canned broths.

  In adapting your own recipes to the rice cooker, remember that canned broth is intense and salty and can easily overpower other flavors. If a risotto or other dish contains ingredients with delicate flavors—Butternut Squash Risotto is one example—try it with half water, half broth, or search out a reduced-sodium or salt-free broth.

  In general, you get what you pay for. The cheap brands taste it. Swanson’s is available nationwide and is fine, and the new reclosable aseptic packaging is very handy (if you can stand the fact that those juice box–type containers can’t be recycled in most parts of the co
untry). Ready-made frozen commercial stocks have become increasingly available, a specialty food item that is almost an artisan craft, and though they are quite good, they tend to be very expensive.

  In many parts of the world, including Italy, dry bouillon powder or cubes (such as Knorr) dissolved in water are essential constituents of the home pantry, contributing their distinctive flavors to many grain dishes. Bouillon cubes are considered a type of glacé, or stock that has been reduced to a thick, concentrated mass. Consommé falls in between and should be thinned with an equal amount of water, if using. Unfortunately, bouillons are all highly salted and often taste artificial in the finished dish. Use these or not, as you prefer, but know that if you use a bouillon broth in recipes calling for homemade or canned, you will definitely taste the difference.

  chicken stock

  If you make only one type of homemade stock, it should be chicken stock. Unsalted chicken stock is a cornerstone of good cooking and is called for in many recipes in this book. While many stocks call for a reduction, or boiling down, to concentrate the flavor, we have found that the best stock for cooking rice and grains in the rice cooker is more delicate in flavor and color. Many cooks use only the accumulated scrap parts (kept in the freezer) and make great stock; we like cutting up a whole chicken and adding the extra parts. Julie makes chicken stock in the pressure cooker; it is done after 35 minutes of pressure cooking.

  YIELD: About 2½ quarts

  5 pounds chicken backs, necks, wings, and carcasses, or one 5- to 7-pound chicken, cut up and fat removed (no liver)

  2 medium-size yellow onions, cut into quarters

  1 medium-size carrot, cut into chunks

  5 stalks celery, with leaves

  4 sprigs fresh Italian parsley, with stems

  10 black peppercorns

  1. Place the chicken in a large stockpot. Add water to cover by 2 inches. Partially cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off the foam on the surface. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 2 hours, skimming as necessary.

  2. Add the vegetables and peppercorns, cover, and simmer for 2 hours longer. Remove the cover and let the stock cool to lukewarm. Line a large colander or strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a large bowl; carefully pour the stock through to strain it. Press the vegetables to extract all the liquid.

  3. Pick the meat off the chicken, then discard the skin, bones, and vegetables. Reserve the meat for soup, salad, or another purpose, if desired. Divide the stock into airtight plastic freezer storage containers, leaving 2 inches at the top to allow for expansion in the freezer. The stock is ready for use and can be refrigerated for up to 2 to 3 days, or frozen for 3 to 6 months.

  turkey stock

  Since roast turkey is so popular during the winter holidays, there always seems to be this big, old carcass all picked over a day or two after the big meal. Don’t waste it, and use it as soon as possible! It is perfect for breaking up (separate the ribs from the backbone; it won’t fit into the pot whole) and cooking into an aromatic stock that seems to make itself.

  YIELD: About 1½ quarts

  3 pounds roast turkey carcass bones with some meat left on, broken up, including the wings and skin

  1 yellow onion, chopped

  1 leek, white and green parts, washed well and chopped

  1 carrot, cut into chunks

  3 stalks celery, with leaves, chopped

  6 sprigs fresh parsley, with stems

  1 bay leaf

  2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

  6 black peppercorns

  1. Place the turkey bones in a large stockpot. Add water to cover by 3 inches. Partially cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off any foam that floats to the surface. Add the vegetables, herbs, and pepper corns. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer for 3 hours.

  2. Remove the cover and let the stock cool to lukewarm. Line a large colander or strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a large bowl; carefully pour the stock through to strain it. Press the vegetables to extract all the liquid and discard. Discard the bones and meat. Divide the stock into airtight plastic freezer storage containers, leaving 2 inches at the top to allow for expansion in the freezer. The stock is ready for use and can be refrigerated for up to 2 to 3 days, or frozen for 3 to 6 months.

  game stock

  Game bird or rabbit stock is very much like poultry stock in flavor and viscosity. It is quite delicate and very delicious in pilafs and risottos. It is a must if a member of your family is a hunter, and game stock is a great way to use up the extra trimmings, flesh, and bones after boning the breasts. Since most game birds are quite small, you can accumulate bones by keeping them in resealable plastic bags in the freezer. While here you will brown the vegetables first, never brown game or poultry bones; they will lose a lot of flavor. This stock is best made with only one type of game at a time to avoid muddling the flavor.

  YIELD: About 2 quarts

  3 tablespoons olive oil

  2 yellow onions, cut into quarters

  2 carrots, cut into chunks

  4 stalks celery, with leaves

  5 pounds duck, pheasant, or small game bird (like chukar or quail) backs, necks, wings, and trimmings, or rabbit carcass and bones

  3 sprigs fresh parsley, with stems

  1 bay leaf

  2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

  6 black peppercorns

  1. In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring, until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the game, herbs, peppercorns, and water to cover by 2 inches. Partially cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 3 hours, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface a few times with a large spoon.

  2. Remove the cover and let the stock cool to lukewarm. Line a large colander or strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a large bowl; carefully pour the stock through to strain it. Press the vegetables to extract all the liquid and discard. Discard the bones and meat. Divide the stock into airtight plastic freezer storage containers, leaving 2 inches at the top to allow for expansion in the freezer. The stock is ready for use and can be refrigerated for up to 2 to 3 days, or frozen for 3 to 6 months.

  white stock

  White stock is made with veal and chicken bones, making a much more light-colored and delicately flavored stock than one made with beef. It is the savory delight of the country kitchen and can be used in place of chicken stock in recipes. Beth buys chicken breasts for dinner, bones them herself, and keeps the raw bones in plastic freezer bags until making the stock. This is a recipe adapted from the 1957 edition of The Gourmet Cookbook compiled by the original publisher and creator of the magazine devoted to good eating, Earle R. MacAusland.

  YIELD: About 2½ quarts

  3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  1 yellow onion, cut into quarters

  1 carrot, cut into chunks

  1 leek, white and green parts, washed well and chopped

  3 stalks celery, with leaves

  2 veal knuckles

  4 to 6 chicken half-breast bones (left over from boning breast fillets)

  4 sprigs fresh parsley, with stems

  6 black peppercorns

  1. In a large stockpot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, leek, and celery and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Add the veal knuckles, chicken bones, parsley, peppercorns, and water to cover by 2 inches. Partially cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 3 hours, skimming off the foam that rises to the surface.

  2. Remove the cover and let the stock cool to lukewarm. Line a large colander or strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a large bowl; carefully pour the stock through to strain. Press the vegetables to extract all the liquid and discard. Discard the bones and solids. Divide the stock into airtight plastic freezer storage containers, leaving 2 inches at
the top to allow for expansion in the freezer. The stock is ready for use and can be refrigerated for up to 2 to 3 days, or frozen for 3 to 6 months.

  potager vegetable stock

  If you thought that a pure vegetable stock is a new invention by vegetarians, think again. Known as fond de légumes in French, vegetable stock is a wonderfully old-fashioned aromatic combination of mild herbs and vegetables, with a decidedly neutral taste. When evaluating a vegetable stock recipe, note that vegetables that have assertive flavors—cabbage, turnips, green peppers, broccoli, and cauliflower, should be avoided; they will overpower your stock. Potatoes make a stock murky from their starch, and anything like beets or tomatoes will instantly tint your stock a brilliant, earthy color, which is usually undesirable. Use fresh vegetables; old vegetables will not make such a nice tasting stock.

  YIELD: About 2 quarts

  3 tablespoons olive oil

  2 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegetable oil

  3 medium-size yellow onions, chopped

  2 leeks, white and green parts, washed well and chopped

  1 medium-size carrot, cut into chunks

  1 medium-size parsnip, peeled and cut into chunks

  1 small bunch celery, with leaves, stalks pulled apart and bottoms trimmed

  2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

  1 or 2 ears fresh corn (optional), husked, kernels cut off and reserved for another dish, and cobs broken into pieces

  6 sprigs fresh parsley, with stems

  Few strands fresh chives or green onions

  1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in half horizontally

  1 bay leaf

  2 sprigs fresh thyme or marjoram or 1 teaspoon dried thyme or marjoram

  6 black peppercorns

  1. In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. When the butter melts, add the onions, leeks, carrot, parsnip, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms, corn, parsley, chives, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and peppercorns. Add water to cover by 2 inches. Partially cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 1½ hours.