Arroz Blanco (Classic Mexican White Rice) by Rick Bayless

By DomesticMuse

This is home-style white Mexican rice at its best.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 c. chicken broth
• salt
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 c. white rice, preferably medium grain
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 T fresh lime juice
• 3 T roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heating the Liquid
In a small saucepan or microwave oven, heat the broth until steaming. Stir in 1/4 t. salt if using salted broth, 1 1/2 t. salt if using unsalted broth. Cover and keep warm.

2. Frying the Rice
In a medium (3-qt) saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the raw rice and onion and stir regularly until the grains have turned from translucent to milky white, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for a few seconds, until fragrant. For beautiful white rice, the grains should not brown.

3. Simmering the Rice
Add the warm liquid and lime juice, stir thoroughly and scrape down any grains that are clinging to the side of the pan. Cover and keep warm over the lowest heat for 15 minutes-- the temperature should be low enough that only the slightest hint of steam escapes from the lid.
Remove the pan from the heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Uncover and test a grain of rice. If it's still a little hard, recover the pan and set over low heat for about 5 minutes; if the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is completely dry, sprinkle on 2 T of water before returning it to the heat.
As soon as the rice is done, sprinkle on the parsley and gently fluff the rice to release the steam and stop the cooking, then turn into a warm serving bowl.

Makes 5 c. rice.