Hands-Off Baked Brown Rice

By GratefulSea

From, "The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook," America's Test Kitchen. Using oven baking to cook brown rice makes sense since it provides more temperature control for this difficult grain than does a stove top method. Bringing the water to a boil before pouring it in the pan reduces the cooking time. This is a fail-proof recipe, resulting in light and fluffy rice every time. The use of a 8-1/2 by 4-1/2 inch loaf pan is highly recommended; if using a 9 by 5-inch pan, start checking for doneness 5 minutes early. For the most precise measure of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to a boil and then measure out 1-1/4 cup.

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cup boiling water
• 3/4 cup long-, medium-, or short-grain brown rice, rinsed
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• salt and pepper
• VARIATION - with Parmesan, Lemon, and Herbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Details

Servings 2
Adapted from google.com

Preparation

Step 1

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position, then preheat the oven to 375º.
Combine the boiling water with the brown rice, olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in an 8-1/2 by 4-1/2 inch loaf pan. Cover the pan tightly with a double layer of aluminum foil.

Bake until the rice is tender and no water remains, about 45 to 55 minutes.

Remove pan from the oven and fluff the rice with a fork. Cover the pan with a clean dish towel and then cover that loosely with foil, allowing the rice to rest for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

HANDS-OFF BAKED BROWN RICE WITH PARMESAN, LEMON & HERBS VARIATION
Stir in the Parmesan cheese, minced parsley, and lemon zest when fluffing the rice.