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.
35 min.
Easy
3 people
8 IngredientsLast modified on: February 21th 2011
½ 
2 tablespoons 
½ cup rice
2⁄3 cup 
½ 
1 tablespoon 
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 15 min.
Cooking: 25 min.
All in all: 35 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 5 min.
Préparez ½ onion.
Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C).
Prepare chicken stock by mixing ½ chicken stock cube and 2⁄3 cup water (hot).
Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C).
Prepare chicken stock by mixing ½ chicken stock cube and 2⁄3 cup water (hot).
Stage 2 - 2 min.
Put 2 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.
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 ½ cup 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 1 tablespoon 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.
Keeping: Several days in the fridge, in a closed jar.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 3 RDI=1 % | 30 RDI=3 % | 40 RDI=6 % | 470 RDI=20 % | 1,950 RDI: 20 % |
| Per 100 g | 0 | 7 RDI=1 % | 10 RDI=2 % | 130 RDI=6 % | 540 RDI: 6 % |
| Per person | 1 RDI=0 % | 9 RDI=1 % | 10 RDI=2 % | 160 RDI=8 % | 650 RDI: 8 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 3 people : 0.50 €
- Per person : 0.20 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
Some other recipes using this recipeSee them all 25
Glazed mushrooms with plain rice
In this very simple recipe, the mushrooms are lightly sautéed, then glazed with soy sauce and lemon juice, and served on a bed of plain white rice.
25 K 30 min.
Rice and peas
This is a very simple recipe that can made almost entirely with leftovers: chicken, rice and peas.
129 K4.2 30 min.
Rice and fresh spinach salad
Spinach is usually eaten cooked. Though seen less often, it can also be eaten raw, like in this salad where it is combined with rice, crunchy radishes and tinned tuna.
37 K 30 min.
Baby broad beans and peas with rice and mascarpone
Fresh spring vegetables (peas and young broad beans here) with white rice, made creamy at the last minute with a little mascarpone.
18 K 40 min.
Montagnon rice
This rustic dish, with a nod to the mountains of eastern France, combines pre-cooked rice with morsels of smoked sausage and globe artichokes.
16 K 45 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Water
Like these other recipes: Stewed apricots, Cretan Bread, Stewed plums, Peanut rolls, Super-green, super-thrifty soup, ... See them all 132
Rice
Like these other recipes: Mussels with arroz negro, How to cook rice in rice-cooker, Paella, Pea risotto "Mantecare", Canadian rice pudding, ... See them all 21
Butter
Like these other recipes: Chocolate almond cookies, Spinach and Comté Loaf, Baked sea bass fillet with lemon and tarragon, Nicholas's fish, Norwegian tartines, ... See them all 450
Olive oil
Like these other recipes: Endives , Frichti from Bruxelles, Filo leeks and cheese tart, Individual creamy endive gratins, Thin endive tart, ... See them all 511
Other recipes you may also like
Caramelised apple pie
Apple pie made with caramelised apples.September 11th 2018254 K4.3 1 hour 55 min.
Potato gratin
This classic French recipe is made with sliced potatoes baked in milk and browned on top.February 21th 20111.10 M 14.6 1 hour 50 min.
Boeuf (beef) bourguignon
Bœuf bourguignon is a traditional recipe of French cuisine (bourguignon means from Burgundy). It's chunks of meat cooked slowly with bacon, onions, carrots and mushrooms in red wine.February 21th 2011468 K 32.5 4 hours 20 min.
How to prepare romanesco
Here is how to take a whole romanesco and end up with small pieces ready to use in a recipe.January 17th 2013650 K 23 30 min.
Chocolate Chantilly
If we look at the more scientific side of Chantilly cream we can see that it's mainly cream, and cream is a mix of very small droplets of milk fat and water, which is called an emulsion. When we whip this emulsion, we incorporate air into it and so create a mousse or foam. In the end Chantilly is a...September 25th 2013171 K5 15 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2024-12-01)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.
The 1 comment already posted on this recipe