Butter-Garlic Brothy Rice
When it comes to food, my husband and I are polar opposites—we’re both big eaters and appreciate great food, but our ideas of comfort food are totally different. Even when we get takeout for dinner, we often disagree on what we should order—I’m firmly in the Noodles of Any Kind camp, and he’s more into pizza or a hot Italian sub. Luckily, last summer we discovered a Panda Express right next to a Firehouse Subs so we mobile order both and pick them up in one fell swoop. #marriage
All of that is to say that this recipe is my kind of dish, and it’s one that I know I’ll get to enjoy in its entirety (although Sophie does seem to take after me when it comes to rice and noodles) because Rob is just not interested in brothy rice, which is what this is. I wouldn’t call it soup, but it should be served with enough broth that you need a spoon to slurp up any remaining liquid in your bowl.
This is basically a non-recipe, but when I shared a photo on Instagram Stories the other day (I made it a week ago when I had a migraine) I got a lot of inquiries so I thought I’d make it again (twist my arm) and share a full post.
White rice (I prefer jasmine although this time I used Basmati—you could do any rice you like) gets toasted in a pot with a few smashed garlic cloves and lots of butter before simmering away in chicken stock. Once it’s done cooking you simply spoon it into bowls and pour a little more chicken broth over it, depending on how soupy (or not) you want it.
I like to top it with whatever herbs I have in my fridge—my favorites are cilantro and green onion but chives are good too. A little spritz of fresh lemon, lime, soy sauce, or even a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper would be amazing. Sesame seeds? Truffle oil? A soft-boiled egg, perhaps. Find your favorite combo—this buttery, garlicky, brothy rice can be whatever you want it to be.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1-2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 cup of rice
2 cups of chicken stock (use veggie stock to make vegetarian), plus more for serving
Salt, to taste
Desired toppings (herbs, onion, citrus, etc.)
Instructions:
In a medium pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic cloves and sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until fragrant. Add uncooked rice and stir well to combine, cooking another 2-3 minutes. Add a large pinch of salt and continue to stir.
Reduce heat slightly and pour in the 2 cups of chicken stock. Stir once more and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or according to package directions (I usually cook just a few minutes less, or at least check on it a few minutes before the recommended cook time since I toast the rice before boiling).
Fluff rice with a fork (optional: remove garlic from pot) and add more salt if necessary. Spoon into bowls and top with more broth, then sprinkle herbs before serving.
