Jefe wrote:Have you tried frying the uncooked rice first? I've found that this coats each grain with oil. You fry in a generous splash of oil on high heat for maybe 5-10 minutes, until the rice looks white and chalky. You can then add diced onion and tomato (fresh or sauce). Definitely do not overdo the tomato, the pulp can interfere with the rice cooking evenly.
And honestly for that true restaurant-style flavor you gotta use a bouillon product with heavy salt and even MSG. That Knorr tomato one works. Goya sazón is probably the most authentic. Annatto lends the orange coloring. There's an annatto sazón that would probably yield exactly what you are looking for.
bnowell724 wrote: Using a 2:1 ratio of liquid to rice, I boiled the liquid in a 5 qt pot and added the rice, then stirred, covered with a piece of parchment and a tight fitting lid, and baked at 335 F for about 18 min.
boudreaulicious wrote:bnowell724 wrote: Using a 2:1 ratio of liquid to rice, I boiled the liquid in a 5 qt pot and added the rice, then stirred, covered with a piece of parchment and a tight fitting lid, and baked at 335 F for about 18 min.
That's a new one for me! Only time I've ever heard of baking rice was to make something like Chicken Supreme (the old college standby--rice topped with cans of Campbell's cream of mushroom, cream of celery and cream of chicken, baked with chicken on top lol!!)
For me, texture isn't the issue--my rice comes out with the same texture as the restaurant version--I just use a rice cooker. But the flavor and color are what I'm struggling with. I've used the Goya packet but only once and I don't remember the verdict but it wasn't "right." I'm sure it was proportions that were off. Curious to hear what others chime in with!
boudreaulicious wrote:That's a new one for me! Only time I've ever heard of baking rice was to make something like Chicken Supreme (the old college standby--rice topped with cans of Campbell's cream of mushroom, cream of celery and cream of chicken, baked with chicken on top lol!!)
Jefe wrote:I cook my Spanish rice like I cook all my other rice, a technique that hasn't failed me in 20 years– 1.25 parts water to 1 part rice. I usually rinse, but the frying step cooks off the excess starch. The liquid boils, I reduce to the lowest simmer, put a lid on it, and cook for 12 minutes. I never remove the lid. And after cook time I pull it off the heat immediately and let steam for another 10 mins.
In terms of getting that yellowness & saltiness from your Sázon, follow the instructions on the box and though your inner food snob might balk at the use of this industrial product, don't skimp. I wouldn't be surprised if many Mex joints simply cook their rice only with the cubes and no veg. I have a fondness for the more tomato-y Spanish rices of my 80s suburban youth, so I add tomato and onions.
funkyfrank wrote:I, too, have struggled for years to make Mexican restaurant style rice. I can finally do it thanks to a family friend. The secret is the Goya Sázon with Coriander and Annatto. She uses three or 4 packets with a double recipe.
I pan fried the rice. Sauteed onions and added a tablespoon or so of tomato paste to the onions and sauteed a bit longer. Added the rest of the ingredients, including Sázon, using chicken stock as liquid. Eureka.
bnowell724 wrote:Jefe wrote:I cook my Spanish rice like I cook all my other rice, a technique that hasn't failed me in 20 years– 1.25 parts water to 1 part rice. I usually rinse, but the frying step cooks off the excess starch. The liquid boils, I reduce to the lowest simmer, put a lid on it, and cook for 12 minutes. I never remove the lid. And after cook time I pull it off the heat immediately and let steam for another 10 mins.
In terms of getting that yellowness & saltiness from your Sázon, follow the instructions on the box and though your inner food snob might balk at the use of this industrial product, don't skimp. I wouldn't be surprised if many Mex joints simply cook their rice only with the cubes and no veg. I have a fondness for the more tomato-y Spanish rices of my 80s suburban youth, so I add tomato and onions.
I will try this technique and report back.
Is there a particular type rice you use?
Do you use a pot or a skillet?
funkyfrank wrote:She uses three or 4 packets with a double recipe.
Kid Charlemagne wrote:funkyfrank wrote:She uses three or 4 packets with a double recipe.
What constitutes a "double recipe?" How many cups of rice?
bnowell724 wrote:funkyfrank wrote:I, too, have struggled for years to make Mexican restaurant style rice. I can finally do it thanks to a family friend. The secret is the Goya Sázon with Coriander and Annatto. She uses three or 4 packets with a double recipe.
I pan fried the rice. Sauteed onions and added a tablespoon or so of tomato paste to the onions and sauteed a bit longer. Added the rest of the ingredients, including Sázon, using chicken stock as liquid. Eureka.
Thanks! I will try this technique.
What are the cooking instructions once you add the stock? Do you have measurements for the ingredients?
bnowell724 wrote:Everyone who recommended sautéing the rice in oil, then sautéing the tomato product with the rice before adding the cooking liquid was spot on. I saw this method recommended so many times that I tried it yesterday and this was the result:
No issues using pureed fresh tomatoes either, frying the pulp with the raw rice makes it disappear into the finished product. Adds some nice flavor, which is needed because the achiote is for color only.
Here is the recipe I sort of improvised, in a 4 qt heavy duty pot w/ tight fitting lid(turns out it's pretty much the same technique Rick Bayless uses for his "red tomato rice", which I've made many times, but it looks and tastes much different - I'm guessing because his calls for medium grain rice, and uses a fully prepared salsa as the tomato product) :
1. Sauté over medium heat to coat rice and turn it chalky:
1 cup long grain rice w/
1 T. oil
2. Puree and add to rice; sauté over medium heat until most of liquid has cooked off:
1 roma tomato
1-1 1/2" chunk of raw onion
1 clove garlic
3. Mix; add to pot and stir to make an even layer:
1 3/4 cups chicken stock(Progresso brand has good flavor)
1/2 packet Goya sazon con culantro y achiote
1/2-1 tsp sea salt
4. Bring everything to a simmer. Cover surface of liquid with a piece of parchment cut to size of pot, with a small hole cut in the center. Place lid on pot. Turn heat to very low and set timer for 17 minutes. After 17 minutes turn off and let steam ten minutes or so before removing lid.
This was much better than any previous efforts, although I will continue to experiment with several of the variables. I'll try out medium grain rice, and adjust amounts of oil and cooking liquid to see how that affects the texture. This came out fluffy with separate grains due to sautéing the raw grains in oil I believe, and I might even like it a bit "stickier" and/or softer. And I definitely want to make it with homemade gelatinous chicken stock sometime. Also now that I know the achiote adds nothing flavor-wise, I'll probably leave it out in the future. Anyway, I've got a solid framework to work with.
Thanks for all the tips everyone, they were super helpful!
P.s. I made one batch using TWO WHOLE packets of the achiote seasoning... Wayyy too much... Here is what that looks like:
leek wrote:I have this Fiesta Spanish Rice Seasoning and the recipe is pretty easy (you could easily do this instead with Goya Sazon or your own home made seasoning mix
1 Tbs cooking oil
1 cup uncooked rice
1 - 7oz can tomato sauce
1 Tbs Bolner's Fiesta Brand® Spanish Rice Seasoning
2 Cups water
Heat the oil in a pan that has a tight fitting lid. Add the rice and fry it until it starts to turn brown. Stir in tomato sauce, Spanish Rice Seasoning and water and bring to a boil Cover with a tight fitting lid and SIMMER on low heat for 15-20 minutes until the water is absorbed. Do not overcook. Fluff and serve. Makes 6-8 servings.
Cathy2 wrote:Hi,
To compliment the Chicken Mole made for the Small Household Exchange, I made your rice with a few changes made by necessity:
I had stock from cooking the chicken with a fat cap. I used the chicken fat instead of oil to sauté the rice. It was that or toss it.
Instead of Roma tomato, I used a half cup of Jewel Signature brand tomato sauce. I stirred it until it was nearly dry to your instructions. I wasn't really quite sure how much onion to use, I used a quarter of a small onion. I popped these ingredients and garlic clove in a quart take-out plastic container pureed with a stick blender.
You have a winning formula for making Mexican style rice. Thank you for highlighting how to do this.
Regards,
Cathy2
Geo wrote:Well, maybe not bnowell724! I prefer duck fat to schmalz; and, after having it all over Austria, IMHO goose fat beats duck fat! : )
But of course YMMV!
Geo