Martha Stewart's Cherished French Method For Cooking Rice

The world has no shortage of ways to cook rice whether that be steaming, baking, simmering, and yes, boiling. Martha Stewart adores the latter. Watch her pour white rice straight into a large pot of boiling water in a video she recently shared on Facebook, and you may never look at preparing rice the same way again — here's why this French method is cherished by Stewart and many others. 

A boil-and-drain approach leaves each grain of rice separated and fluffy. Boiling in an abundance of water also means no clumping and a less starchy result since grains can freely move around the pot. Cooking rice just like pasta is reliable and so easy, too. All you need is a large pot of boiling water and a teaspoon of salt for every cup of rice. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the tender grains float to the top. Turn off the heat, drain off the excess water, and return it to the stove. Put the lid on and leave the rice for five minutes. A short steam is all rice needs before fluffing with a fork. 

Boiling rice like the French (and Martha) works like a charm every time, and you'll never worry about scraping burned rice from the bottom of the pot again. In fact, this is how my friends and family from South Louisiana cook rice — c'est vrais (it's true)! That's why this technique is also known as Creole rice, even in France.

Boiling rice isn't just a French (and Creole) technique,it's also a tried and true method. Par-cooking grains in rapidly boiling, well-salted water is one of the secrets to a restaurant-worthy biryani, the classic Indian dish known around the world for its fragrant, perfectly textured rice. A shorter cook time and draining excess liquid keeps the rice al dente, so each grain can finish "dum cooking" or dum pukht  while layered with marinated meat and lots of beautiful and bold spices in a sealed pot to lock in flavor without overcooking the rice. 

Boiling is also perfect for rice that's going into any soup, from a hearty shrimp and okra gumbo to a bright and lemony Greek avgolemono. According to Martha Stewart, it's also great when preparing stuffed peppers or cabbage. Long or medium white grains are usually the go-tos for boiling. Save the short grains for recipes like classic Thai mango sticky rice, which is meant to be chewy and glutinous. 

Boiled rice is a real winner when it comes to cooking for crowds. Rather than relying on simmering until all the liquid disappears, the boil-and-drain style gives you a large margin for error. Just remember to also use lots of water – a quart for every cup of rice. If temperatures fluctuate, boiling in excess water even keeps things from settling into cooler zones. Regardless of the recipe, all rice-cooking methods (French or otherwise) can have their place in the spotlight.