The Wooden Spoon Trick Aarón Sanchez Learned That Will Change The Way You Make Rice - Exclusive
Rice takes a good amount of time to cook — with brown rice taking as long as 45 minutes. But depending on your favorite type of the grain (jasmine, long grain, basmati), rice is worth the wait due to its extreme versatility and health benefits, including being a good source of fiber. The wait also doesn't seem to be much of a deterrent; according to Statista, Americans consumed approximately 4.8 million metric tons of rice just last year. With people reaching for the grain that often, it's definitely useful to learn some new tricks that make cooking it easier.
"You see particular kinds of pots that are used only for rice dishes. I always love [them]," Aarón Sanchez told Mashed in an exclusive interview. The celebrity chef is the newest host of "El Toque de Aarón," and he revealed that he learned many tips from the restaurant cooks he was aiding on the show. "I remember learning how to make rice from this Puerto Rican woman, and she told me something really neat. She never measured the ratio of water to rice." Rice is normally estimated with 2 parts water and 1 part rice, varying on the kind of grain you are boiling. But it turns out that a wooden spoon is the key to avoiding the measurement hassle.
The spoon will stand up straight when the water-to-rice ratio is perfect
You don't need a measuring cup to perfect the water-to-rice ratio — all you need is a wooden spoon. "She would stir it, and then when the spoon stood up straight, she knew there was enough water to rice," Aarón Sanchez explained to Mashed. "She just added water and then added rice or broth, and once she stirred it and the spoon stood up, that means you're good." Additionally, mixing chicken broth into rice can enhance the savory flavor and leave a moist and fluffy side dish.
From there, you can add some butter, salt, and pepper, and you have a delicious pot of rice on your hands. You can check if the grain is done by making sure all of the water or broth has been absorbed — a good indication is checking for small holes at the top of the rice or taste testing it before taking it off of the stovetop. If the rice is too sticky or seems like it has a gummy texture, that means it is overcooked (although this doesn't mean that you have to throw it away).
The first episode of "El Toque de Aarón" premieres on Monday, April 17 at 10:00 p.m. ET on Discovery Familia. The series will also be available on Hogar de HGTV on April 19 at 10:30 p.m. ET. Keep up with Aarón Sanchez's latest culinary creations on his Instagram page.