Pilau rice
Pilau rice (also called "restaurant rice" in France) is a way of cooking rice that's very different from using a rice-cooker. In this recipe, the rice is first "pearled" with onion in olive oil, then chicken stock is added, and the whole lot is put in the oven. This produces a very tasty moist rice, which can easily be kept waiting without drying out.
243,124 14.3/5
Last modified on: February 21th 2011
For 6 people, you will need:
1 
1 
How long does it take?
| Preparation | Cooking | Start to finish |
|---|---|---|
| 11 min. | 22 min. | 33 min. |
At what time?
When will I finish if I start the recipe at a certain time?
When should I start for the recipe to be ready at a certain time?
Work this out...
When should I start for the recipe to be ready at a certain time?
Work this out...
Step by step recipe
Stage 1
5 min.
Préparez 1 onion.Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C).
Prepare chicken stock by mixing 1 chicken stock cube and 300 ml water (hot).
Stage 2
2 min.
Put 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large oven-proof pan over moderate heat.When oil is hot, add chopped onion, mix well, salt and pepper.
Cook for 1 or 2 minutes without allowing to colour.
Stage 3
3 min.
Tip in 200 ml rice all at once, and "pearl", which means: cook 2 or 3 minutes, stirring continuously...Stage 4
...until rice become translucent, "pearled".Stage 5
1 min.
Then add chicken stock in one go...Stage 6
...and mix thoroughly.Stage 7
20 min.
Cover (lid or aluminium foil) and put in the oven for 20 minutes.Stage 8
2 min.
After this time, remove from the oven, uncover and add 20 g butter in small pieces, while stirring to melt them.Stage 9
Your pilau rice is ready, but it can be covered and kept hot for a while.Remarks
Unfortunately, cooking rice like pasta (in boiling water then draining) is the worst method! Because like that most of the flavour disappears with the water, and that's a pity.
On the other hand in a rice-cooker or using the pilau method, the rice has only the volume of liquid that it will absorb, and so retains its flavour.
To succeed with pilau rice, there are 2 important points
1) You should never use more than one and a half time the volume of liquid than volume of rice.
2) cooking time should not exceed 20 minutes at 200°C (390°F), covered.
Sometimes, you might read in other recipes, that pilau rice can only be cooked in oven. That's not true. Yes, it's better in the oven because it's softer and cooks more evenly, but not obligatory. You can cook it on low heat, covered, without stirring.
You can also vary the taste by adding a bayleaf during cooking or a bouquet garni or other herbs of your choice. You can also change the chicken stock for vegetable or beef stock, or add some dry white wine. So, let your imagination guide you.
On the other hand in a rice-cooker or using the pilau method, the rice has only the volume of liquid that it will absorb, and so retains its flavour.
To succeed with pilau rice, there are 2 important points
1) You should never use more than one and a half time the volume of liquid than volume of rice.
2) cooking time should not exceed 20 minutes at 200°C (390°F), covered.
Sometimes, you might read in other recipes, that pilau rice can only be cooked in oven. That's not true. Yes, it's better in the oven because it's softer and cooks more evenly, but not obligatory. You can cook it on low heat, covered, without stirring.
You can also vary the taste by adding a bayleaf during cooking or a bouquet garni or other herbs of your choice. You can also change the chicken stock for vegetable or beef stock, or add some dry white wine. So, let your imagination guide you.
Nutritional information
How much will it cost?
For 6 people : 0.97 €
Per person : 0.16 €
Recipes which use this 5
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Source: Home made.
More recipes?
This recipe use (among others) | Water: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Pistachio powder or paste, Ali Baba bread, Naan, Kouign-amann, French baguettes, ... All |
 | Rice: You can check-out other recipes which use it, like for example: Curried prawn risotto, Sushi, Creamy risotto with diced vegetables and flax seeds, Paella, How to cook rice in rice-cooker, ... All |
 | Butter: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: French onion soup, Elsa's Comtoise galette, Breton sablé biscuit dough, Loaf for "les filles'", Flaky chocolate brioche, ... All |
 | Olive oil: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Tomato and cream cheese terrine, Pissaladière with puff pastry, Purple artichokes braised in white wine, Pesto, Alsatian-style salad, ... All |
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