Sawyer's Creek Chefs

2004.12.11 - Mark Bersalona

The "Secret" of Filipino Rice Cooking

My parents, aunts and uncles emigrated from the Philippines in the 1960s. I grew up on rice instead of potatoes; consequently plain white rice is comfort food for me, while mashed potatoes are a tasty treat - though still comforting! (More on mashed potatoes in a bit.) Although my mom and brother were the cooks in the family, my kitchen job was cooking the rice.

Use a rice cooker or an ordinary pot?

Since rice is a staple in Filipino families almost everyone uses an automatic rice cooker. When we were growing up my mom didn't have an automatic rice cooker, she had me! She taught me how to cook rice in an ordinary pot.

Whether using a rice cooker or an ordinary pot, steamed white rice is simple to make. Filipinos and perhaps other Asian cultures prefer rice a bit dry and sticky - rice cookers at best do an adequate job, depending on the brand, but for perfect white rice an ordinary 2 quart pot is just fine.

Instructions

• 2-4 cups long grain white rice
• water

(Optional) Rinse the rice a few times until the rinse water is almost clear. This can reduce stickiness, but also rinses away vitamins and nutrients.

Add rice and water in pot over medium to high heat until water boils away into the rice, until almost dry. When what's left of the water is just making "snap crackle pop" noises, cover the pot and reduce the heat to low for 20 minutes.

(Variations) Extra-long grain rice for less sticky rice; short grain rice for stickier, more moist rice. Basmati rice or some Thai or Vietnamese rice brands for aromatic rice.

How much water? That's the "secret"

In fact any Filipino mother is all too eager to teach the secret. The great thing is that it works regardless of the amount of rice being cooked. Use your middle finger like a dipstick: the water level above the rice in the pot should reach the first joint/crease of the finger (about 3/4 to 1 inch).

Actually I suspect other Asian cultures have the same "secret" but to me it will always be the Filipino secret to rice cooking.

Mashed potatoes

For a change away from rice, I started cooking mashed potatoes occasionally. For the first few years I used instant mashed potatoes, but once I learned how to do it from scratch I never went back to instant. I do like my mashed potatoes, most others' recipes taste bland in comparison - I add a full stick of butter and quite a bit of salt and pepper to 5 pounds of Russets. But in terms of taste and texture, my mashed potatoes could be better.

What's your secret of perfect mashed potatoes?