37 replies to this topic

[jo-mel]

I'm one that doesn't want any color from soy or oyster sauces, either. To get that salt kick, I make some strong chicken bouillon and add a bit at the end of the cooking.

Is it the simple purity of the dish that makes it such a favorite on banquet menus?

[dmreed]

I have always used cooked cold rice for fried rice because it breaks up into individual grains. I was initially surprised when the Iron Chefs used freshly steamed rice for fried rice. Does anyone else here use cold cooked rice?

[John Rosevear]

I have always used cooked cold rice for fried rice because it breaks up into individual grains. I was initially surprised when the Iron Chefs used freshly steamed rice for fried rice. Does anyone else here use cold cooked rice?

Yes. Not just cold, but (assuming I've been sufficiently organized to plan ahead) a day or two old. I use regular American long-grain, wash in several changes of water, cook in a rice cooker (using a bit less water than the cooker's instructions recommend, no salt or oil), spread it out on a half-sheet pan to dissipate the steam and let it cool, then scoop it into a covered container and refrigerate. This gives the best texture of any method I've tried.

[prasantrin]

Assuming you mean the Japanese Iron Chefs, there was discussion on the Japan board about making fried rice using short-grain rice. With sgr, hot rice is preferable. Long grain rice should be cold.

[dmreed]

yes, the Japanese Iron Chefs.

any idea why short grained rice should be used warm?

[nakji]

I use warm sg rice all the time to fry rice, simply because it's more convenient for me to do it that way. I had no idea it was preferable.

I could guess because it's harder to break up chunks of cold sg rice due to starch, but there's no doubt other reasons.

[prasantrin]

Can't remember, but if you search for the tread, I'm sure Hiroyuki explained it.

[v. gautam]

Many types of short grain rices appear to contain higher proportions of branched starches, amylopectins, to straighter-chained starches, amylose; long grains have the opposite. I believe that cooked rice undergoes a process known as the retrogradation of the hydrated starch [see:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrogradation_%28starch%29]. The Japanese SG rices do not benefit as much by Retrogradation, a process that re-establishes the crystalline structures of LG that gets mushed out by cooking in water and gelling.

If you cook in oil at higher temperatures, then introduce water, long grain rices undergo gelatinization in ways that preserve the crystal structure better,as we all have noticed in pilafs.