White Wine Is the Secret to Mind-Blowing Rice

For many cooks, learning how to make rice is a critical step in becoming confident in the kitchen. But in spite of the fairly straightforward ratio and process required, there are a surprising number of variations one can choose, from the type (brown, black, white) and length of grain (short, long), to the device used (a rice cooker, the stovetop). And then, of course, there’s the liquid employed; my grandmother often made rice with chicken broth as opposed to water, and added a heaping tablespoon of butter on top for a little extra pizzazz and comfort. I’ve also known folks who swear by using bouillon, or even tomato juice.

When I started leafing through Alexis deBoschnek’s debut cookbook, “To the Last Bite,” I wasn’t quite expecting to find a recipe for white rice that used both stock and wine, but as a lover of both ingredients (with a partner who prefers to eat rice for every meal of the day), I was intrigued. “It’s truly my favorite recipe, and I make it multiple times a week,” deBoschnek tells me. With an 18-minute cook time, it’s safe to call this a weeknight recipe — and not the kind of recipe that says it’ll take 20 minutes, but really requires 35 unless you’ve got two sous chefs hanging around. The grains are boosted with aromatics like shallots, white wine, and chicken stock, and surprisingly mesh perfectly with anything from roast chicken to a fried egg. “I like to make an extra-big batch to save some of it for crispy rice breakfast the following morning,” deBoschnek adds. Having whipped up more than a few batches of this rice at home, I’m impressed by the easy luxury it adds to my generally hurried stir fries, as well as the pleasing aroma it triggers.

For those wondering, deBoschnek recommends using a good-quality dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or Muscadet, as the flavor absolutely will come through. “A good rule of thumb is to use something in cooking that you would enjoy drinking,” she explains.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium shallot, roughly chopped
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• ¼ cup dry wine wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
• 1 ¾ cup chicken or vegetable stock
• Pinch of kosher salt

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a small pot over high heat. Add the shallot and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the shallot turns golden brown.
2. Add the rice and stir until coated with olive oil and shallots. Add the white wine and stir to combine, cooking for 1 minute, or until the smell of alcohol has burned off.
3. Add the chicken broth and salt and bring to a boil. Place the lid on the pot and reduce heat to simmer for 18 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and keep the lid on for 5 minutes before serving.