My firehouse fried rice improved when I stopped washing the grains

I make big batches of fried rice for the crew after calls. I used to rinse the rice like everyone says, but one time I was in a hurry and skipped it. The rice stuck together just right and soaked up the sauce better. Most chefs will tell you to rinse to keep it separate, but I think that's wrong for this dish. Now I always cook it straight from the bag, and the guys ask for seconds every time.

3 comments

3 Comments

ben6984d ago

Stopping the wash like you did is the move. The starch left on the grains soaks up sauce way better. Took me years to figure that out.

miles_robinson204d ago

But why would you want gloopy starch all over your rice? That leftover powder makes the whole pot gummy and sticky. It's way better to rinse it clean so each grain cooks up separate and light. You get a much nicer bite, and the sauce coats it without turning into paste. I tried it both ways for years and clean rice wins every time.

juliaprice3d ago

You're feeding that unwashed rice to a whole firehouse? I'd be scared to serve that gloppy mess to a crew that needs to stay alert. The starch dump in the pot must look like paste.