Many people are afraid of cooking rice, either because they might burn it, or because it may turn out soggy. Here is an absolutely foolproof method, which produces beautiful rice, without fear of burning or sogginess.

Ingredients

• 1 part white rice
• 2 parts water, freshly boiled (if you are feeling adventurous, add some bouillon powder)
• A knob of butter and a small glug of olive oil (best) or a couple of glugs of vegetable oil for frying
• Half an onion, chopped fairly finely (optional) - red onion works really well here

Method

1. Melt the butter and oil at the bottom of a saucepan (or just heat the oil if just using oil).

2. Fry the onions gently in the oil for a couple of minutes until soft (omit this part if not using onions!).

3. Add the rice and fry until it turns translucent or begins to colour a little.

4. Add the water (water which has just boiled is best, however it does work with cold water, as the fried rice will heat it up fairly quickly).

5. Bring the rice to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, covering the saucepan with a lid.

6. After 10 minutes, take the pan off the heat, then stand it on a wet cloth. This enables it to swell to its fullest and prevents it from burning.

7. Fluff up the rice with a fork and then it's ready to serve.

Provided you have got the correct proportions of rice and water, this should work really well and the rice should absorb all the water when it is standing. If there is any excess water at the end, you can cook it through very gently until the water is absorbed.

Brown Rice

You can use the same method for brown rice, however you will need to cook it for 20 minutes before putting the pan on the wet cloth to stand.

You will never need to be afraid of cooking rice again!