Recipe: Lemon Rice

We have a rice cooker recipe book and this recipe, for some unknown reason, caught our eyes and has become our "go to" recipe for those days when we are feeling uninspired. It is really simple to make and surprisingly tasty.

The recipe says to toss out the cooked garlic, I like to mash it in there while I'm fluffing the rice after it's done cooking (it breaks up easily); it adds a nice flavor to the recipe. I also highly recommend making sure lemon zest gets in there; I have concluded that best tasting food always needs to have two flavors, the lemon adds a nice zing to otherwise bland buttery/chicken flavor.

Lemon Rice
Yield: Serves 3 to 4

Lemon Rice with "Great" Pan-Fried Flounder

Ingredients:

• 1 cup long-grain rice
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• Pinch of salt
• 1 large clove garlic
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

 Directions:

1. If using basmati rice, place the rice in a fine strainer or bowl, rinse with cold water twice, and drain twice.
2. Place the rice in the rice cooker bowl. Add the stock and salt, stir just to combine, then place the garlic in the center on top of the rice. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.

   

   Yeap, you read that right, I make 3 cups of rice.

   
   
3. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, add the lemon zest, butter, and parsley; stir to combine. Close the cover and let the rice steam for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a rice paddle. Before serving, remove the garlic and discard. Serve hot.

   

   Add salt, lemon zest, butter, parsley in there after it's done cooking.