Baked Rice
This is a very savory, comforting rice dish. My family always looks forward to it. I also serve it for parties and there is never any left!
This is a very savory, comforting rice dish. My family always looks forward to it. I also serve it for parties and there is never any left!
- Carbohydrate 46.07525 g
- Cholesterol 460 mg
- Fat 94.3654500014265 g
- Fiber 0.318750008940697 g
- Protein 117.92625 g
- Saturated Fat 26.7539516668636 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (690g)
- Sodium 430.677083333362 mg
- Sugar 45.7564999910593 g
- Trans Fat 7.94697416670531 g
- Calories 1542 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat Oven to 350 F.
- In a heavy duty oven safe pot, heat olive oil. When shimmering add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the rice and saute until the rice is also translucent.
- Turn off burner and add boiling chicken broth.
- Cover the pot with aluminum foil and then place the lid on top. This creates a water tight seal.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Let sit for 10 minutes. Use a fork to fluff the rice and serve.
Boiling chicken broth acts as the thermal engine in this method, transferring immediate heat to the grains before the pot enters the 350 degree oven. Arborio rice demands careful attention during the initial stovetop phase. Sautéing the onion in olive oil until translucent sets the aromatic base, while toasting the rice grains until their edges turn clear coats each starch molecule in fat. This fat barrier controls gelatinization during baking, preventing the grains from releasing too much surface starch and turning pasty. Using boiling broth rather than cold liquid prevents a sudden drop in temperature that lengthens cooking times and yields uneven textures. Sealing the heavy-duty oven-safe pot tightly with both aluminum foil and a lid traps steam inside, creating a pressurized micro-environment that cooks the upper and lower layers at an identical rate. Baking requires exactly 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, followed by a mandatory 10-minute rest off the heat source. During this resting window, residual moisture redistributes evenly throughout the starches, firming the core of each grain. Visual doneness relies entirely on this steam cycle rather than a probe thermometer; the surface should appear matte and dry, and a fork inserted into the center must encounter no pooling liquid at the base of the pot. Fluffing with a tined fork rather than a solid spoon introduces air between the separated grains, preserving the integrity of the individual kernels upon plating.
