Better Brown Rice

I just came across the article "Better Brown Rice" in the September issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine and was intrigued - their food editors say to ignore the cooking instructions found on most brown rice packages and use less water and cook it for a shorter period of time, yielding "fluffy, nutty-flavored grains that hold up well in the refrigerator or freezer."  I can never seem to get my brown rice to turn out right - I usually end up burning it or end up with a mushy mess.  And, because of my dilemma, I was considering purchasing a rice maker, even though I hated the thought of adding another appliance to my cupboard.  So, I thought it was certainly worth giving this method a try.  And it was definitely worth it!!  It resulted in almost a totally different product!  I'm eager to try this with fried rice and several other salad recipes using cooked rice.  Hooray!

Directions:

1 c. long-grain brown rice

1 1/4 c. water (1 1/2 c. if using short-grain rice)*

1/4 t. sea salt

Bring rice, water and salt to a boil in a wide, shallow pot with a tight-fitting lid.  Cover and reduce to a slow, steady simmer.  30 minutes should be plenty. 

After 30 minutes, remove from heat and let the cooked rice sit for 10 minutes, covered, to absorb maximum moisture.  Remove the lid, and fluff the grains with a fork.

Yields about 2 1/2 c.

*Note - I found that I preferred using 1 1/2 c. water even when using long-grain brown rice.  Also, you may wish to add more salt, depending on how you will be serving the rice.