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
6 people
8 IngredientsLast modified on: February 21th 2011
1 
4 tablespoons 
185 g rice
300 g 
1 
20 g 
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 1 onion.
Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C).
Prepare chicken stock by mixing 1 chicken stock cube and 300 g water (hot).
Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C).
Prepare chicken stock by mixing 1 chicken stock cube and 300 g 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.
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 185 g 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.
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 | 6 RDI=2 % | 50 RDI=5 % | 80 RDI=10 % | 930 RDI=50 % | 3,910 RDI: 50 % |
| 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 6 people : 1.00 €
- 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
Rice with spring greens
This combination of spring cabbage and leeks, cooked separately then mixed with rice, is a simple recipe and everything can be prepared in advance.
23 K 45 min.
Comtoise stuffed tomatoes
These stuffed tomatoes are a bit special: the stuffing is made with Morteau sausage, onions, rice and cancoilotte cheese.
54 K4.1 1 hour 40 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.
40 K 30 min.
Rice and purple-sprouting broccoli salad
Like a classic rice salad, but with the crunch of purple-sprouting broccoli.
25 K 15 min.
Gratin of chicken with rice and sautéed mushrooms
This is a very simple gratin, mainly using leftovers (chicken and rice), ideal for a Sunday night supper.
50 K3.8 55 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Water
Like these other recipes: How to fry eggs well, Leavened bread, Bacon rolls, Benoîton, Turnip and Jerusalem artichoke soup, ... See them all 134
Rice
Like these other recipes: Rice pudding with chestnuts and poached pears, Pea risotto "Mantecare", Morel risotto with Vin Jaune and Mont d'Or, Rice pudding (riz au lait), Sesame rice, ... See them all 21
Butter
Like these other recipes: Sautéd broccoli with ham, Nanou's chocolate cake, Cheese Soufflé, Citrus tart, Fish petals, vegetables julienne, and beurre blanc, ... See them all 461
Olive oil
Like these other recipes: Tomato meat balls, Polpete, Flamiche, Mixed seed grissini, Firied fillet of sea bream with polenta, ... See them all 513
Other recipes you may also like
Bouquet garni
Used very frequently in French cuisine, a secret of French chefs, it adds flavour to a lot of recipes, and it's easy to prepare. The basic principle is to make a small bundle of herbs, bind them in green leek leaves and to tie it up, so that the whole thing can be removed and discarded easily after...March 21th 2017416 K3.5 15 min.
Real custard sauce (crème anglaise)
Real custard or vanilla sauce consists of egg yolks beaten with sugar and cooked slowly in vanilla milk. It is the base or the accompaniment for many desserts.January 17th 2018418 K 24.3 45 min.
How to glaze a tart
Professional pastrycooks usually say that "a beautiful cake is already half sold", it is one of the reasons why they do not put a tart on sale without glazing it ("abricoter" in Fench), i.e. coating it with a thick apricot syrup. This glaze gives a glossy finish to the tart (see the photographs...February 15th 2016452 K4.4 7 min.
How to prepare a pumpkin (or potimarron)
Here is how to prepare a pumpkin for use in a recipe like the delicious potimarron soup.February 21th 2011407 K4.6 25 min.
Surprise eggs
These look like perfectly normal boiled eggs, but when the shell is cracked open - surprise! They contain a mixture of scrambled egg, cured ham, fried prawns and chives.September 26th 2010182 K5 55 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-04-06)
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