Peruvian-Style Shrimp and Rice Chowder

Makes 4 to 6 main-dish servings

Shrimp Stock

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup minced shallot

¼ cup minced celery

¼ cup minced carrot

1 ½ pounds shrimp, preferably with heads on, shells (and heads) removed and reserved

1 cup dry white wine

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeño

2 teaspoons ground cumin

One 14½-ounce can diced tomatoes, with their juices

8 ounces boneless and skinless cod, halibut, sea bass, or other firm white fish fillet, about ½ inch thick

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup fine dry bread crumbs

1 medium Yukon Gold potato, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)

¾ cup uncooked Arborio, Baldo, or other medium-grain white rice

½ cup frozen petite green peas, thawed

1 ear corn, husked, ends trimmed, cob cut into ½-inch-thick disks

4 to 6 large eggs (1 per serving)

2 ounces queso fresco, or other lightly salted white cheese such as ricotta salata, or a very mild feta

½ cup chopped cilantro

½ cup heavy cream, at room temperature








1. For the shrimp stock: Heat the olive oil in a large wide saucepan. Add the shallot, celery, and carrot. Cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp shells and their heads, if you have them. Cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until the shells turn dark red, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and boil until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add 6 cups water; heat to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

2. Working in batches, puree the shells with the liquid in a blender. Set a strainer over a large bowl and strain the pureed stock; discard the solids. There should be about 5 cups stock. Refrigerate until ready to use. (The stock can be prepared up to 1 day ahead.)

3. In a large wide saucepan, combine 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the garlic, and jalapeño. Heat over medium heat, stirring, until sizzling. Add the cumin; cook for 1 minute. Add the shrimp stock and tomatoes. Heat to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. (The recipe can be prepared to this point up to 1 day ahead.)

4. For the fish: Sprinkle the fish on both sides with the oregano and salt and pepper to taste; rub into the fish. Coat with the bread crumbs, pressing them on with fingertips; shake off excess. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the fish and cook, turning once, until lightly browned and just cooked through, about 8 minutes. Set aside, covered with foil, until ready to serve.

5. Reheat the tomato and shrimp stock mixture to a boil. Add salt to taste, about 2 teaspoons. Add the potatoes and rice; cover and cook over low heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the shrimp, peas, and corn. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

6. While the rice and potatoes are cooking, warm the soup bowls in an oven set at the lowest temperature. Poach the eggs: Half-fill a large deep skillet or sauté pan with water. Heat to a boil; reduce to a simmer. One at a time, break the eggs into a small cup and slip into the simmering water. Cook the eggs until the whites are set, about 5 minutes. Gently lift from the water with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with a double thickness of paper towels

7. Divide the fish into portions and place a portion in each bowl. Place the poached eggs on top of the fish. Add the cheese and the cilantro, dividing them evenly.

8. Ladle some of the hot soup into a small bowl and stir in the heavy cream, then add to the soup. Reheat for 1 minute; do not boil. Add a generous grinding of black pepper. Ladle the hot soup into the bowls, dividing the ingredients evenly. Serve piping hot.



Feta cheese of any kind will be too salty here. To tame the saltiness, drain off the brine and rinse the cheese well under cold running water. Place the cheese in a clean container, cover with milk or water, and marinate for at least 1 day before using; drain well.

In Peru, canned evaporated milk is used in place of heavy cream. If watching calories, do not hesitate to use evaporated skim milk

Pilaf Rice

This recipe works in rice cookers that have a liner with a nonstick surface.



Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup chopped onion

1 cup long-grain white rice

½ teaspoon minced garlic

1¾ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon finely chopped walnut






1. Preheat the rice cooker. Add the olive oil and onion to the rice cooker liner. Heat until sizzling; cook, stirring, until the onion is tender. Stir in the rice and garlic. Add the chicken broth; stir once to distribute the rice evenly.

2. Cover and start cooking. The bell will alert you when the liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with the walnuts and serve.

Cook rice Method

         1.   Use a heavy wide shallow saucepan, deep skillet, or sauté pan with a tight-fitting lid

         2.   Heat the water to a boil over high heat. For 3 cups firm cooked white rice, use 1 cup raw rice and 1½ to 2 cups water; for soft-cooked white rice, use 1 cup raw rice and 2 to 2¼ cups water. For 3½ to 4 cups firm cooked brown rice, use 1 cup raw rice and 2¼ cups water; for soft cooked brown rice, use 1 cup raw rice and 2½ to 2¾ cups water


         3.   Add the rice and salt, if using, to the boiling water; stir once to distribute evenly. Return to a boil; stir again.


         4.   Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook the white rice for about 15 minutes and the brown rice for 45 to 55 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed.


         5.   When the rice is cooked, carefully lift the lid, so the condensation on the underside of the cover does not drip into the rice. Look at, do not touch, the rice. Little steam holes all over the surface indicate that the water has been absorbed. If the water has not been absorbed, continue to cook over low heat, covered, for 2 to 3 more minutes


          6.   When the rice is cooked, let it stand, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes before serving


          7.   Fluff the rice with a large fork, never a spoon. Turn into a serving dish


          8.   When cooking medium-grain brown rice for a salad, turn the cooked rice into a strainer and rinse with cold water to remove excess starch and stickiness. Drain well.

Boiling Water Method

Cooking rice uncovered in plenty of boiling water (like cooking pasta) until it reaches the consistency desired and then draining it in a strainer is an especially popular method among chefs. This method provides a certain amount of control, as you can easily dip into the pot to check the progress of the rice as it boils. But because all the enrichment is washed off the rice (if you are using domestically grown rice), it is wasteful. This method also leaches flavor from the rice, which goes down the drain with the water and the enrichment unless you are smart enough to catch it in a pot for soup or some other use. I do use this method when I precook rice for pudding and in Persian-style pilaf recipes. I also like it for medium-grain brown rice, which tends to be very sticky when cooked using the covered method.

Thai-Style Steamed Rice

Thai jasmine rice. Jasmine rice is sticky; steaming fluffs it up and also helps it to retain its natural aroma. Set a kettle of water on to boil. Select a large wide pot and a heatproof bowl that fits inside. Set a small rack in the bottom of the pot. Place the rice (2 cups, or whatever amount you will need) in the bowl, add cold tap water, and swish it around; drain. Repeat once or twice more. Return the drained rice to the bowl. Add 2 or 3 inches boiling water to the pot. Place the bowl of rice on the rack and add boiling water to the rice to cover it by ¾ inch. Cover the pot and steam the rice over medium heat—you should hear the water boiling against the bowl and there should be steam pushing at the lid—for 20 to 25 minutes.

Electric Rice Cookers

Electric rice cookers are as common in modern Asian households as a kitchen sink. A Chinese friend and her family always travel with their rice cooker; eating rice three meals a day is one dietary habit her family is not about to abandon just because they are staying in a hotel. It is certainly a convenient and efficient way to cook rice, and as rice cookers have improved over the years, they have become more and more popular in the United States as well. The problem is that they are not standardized, so you have to follow the manufacturer’s directions and then adjust the amount of liquid (the timing is automatic). People who have them love them. I occasionally use mine, especially when cooking rice for sushi. Generally rice cookers require ¼ to ½ cup less water per cup of rice than the absorption cooking method. Rice cookers are automatically calibrated to sound a bell and turn off when the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. They will also keep cooked rice warm

Microwave Method

Although it doesn’t save time, rice can be cooked in the microwave. Combine 1 cup long-grain white rice with 1¾ to 2 cups water (use 1½ to 1¾ cups water for short-or medium-grain rice) and 1 teaspoon salt in a microwave-safe dish; stir once to distribute rice evenly. Cover and microwave on high power for 5 minutes, then on medium (50%) power for 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, covered, before serving. For long-grain or short-grain brown rice, use 2¼ cups water and ½ teaspoon salt; microwave on high power for 5 minutes, then on medium (50%) power for 30 minutes

Baked Rice

Baking rice is a foolproof method that saves you from worrying about whether the heat under the pan is too high or too low. Because it is in the oven and out of sight, you won’t be tempted to lift the lid and stir it while it is cooking. It is also energy-efficient if you are cooking the rest of the meal in the oven at the same time.

To make plain oven-baked white or brown rice, preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine 1 cup long-grain white rice and 1¾ to 2 cups boiling water or broth; 1 cup medium-grain white rice with 1½ cups boiling liquid; or 1 cup brown rice with 2¼ cups boiling liquid. Add salt to taste; stir once to distribute the rice evenly. Bake covered, for 25 to 30 minutes for white rice, or 1 hour for brown rice. Makes 4 servings.

About rice glossary : S-W

Sake

a Japanese wine made from carefully selected rice and the purest water. Premium sake is served chilled; lower-grade sake is served warm. In cooking, it is used in marinades and sauces. Today sake is made in the United States in California, Colorado, and Oregon.

Samba

a tiny, almost round, rice grown in southern India and Sri Lanka. The sample I tasted had a unique herbaceous flavor and aroma. Samba can have either sticky or dry starch, depending on its genetic makeup, although high amylose (dry starch) rice is typical of Sri Lanka.

Sticky rice 

term used for waxy, sweet, or glutinous rices, but confusing because there are so many different types of rice within this category. Domestically grown sticky rice, which does not hold its shape when cooked, is used as a stabilizer in processed foods. Asian sticky rice is a whole different world of long-and short-grain rices that may be white, black, or even red. Some need to be soaked before cooking; some don’t. The sticky rice, also called sweet rice, is opaque white, as opposed to translucent, with a small oval shape. It is 100 percent amylopectin, the waxy starch, which means it is very sticky. It is used in many Asian desserts, which is probably why it is called sweet rice.

Sushi rice

a short-grain rice with smooth glassy grains. When cooked the rice is sticky. Sushi is the preparation of cooked rice seasoned with rice vinegar and sugar. The rice is shaped into ovals and topped with raw fish, wrapped in nori, or prepared in a wide variety of preparations

Texmati

an aromatic rice with an aroma and texture similar to basmati; it is available as both brown and white rice. Used in pilaf, puddings, and side dishes.

Valencia

a short-to medium-grain Spanish rice of everyday quality, with the ability to absorb 3 cups of liquid for each cup of raw rice. Used in paella

Wehani

a long-grain rice with a dark russet bran and a distinctive nutty taste and aroma grown by Lundberg Family Farms in California. Good in salads, fried rice dishes, pilaf, and stuffing.

Wild rice

looks like rice and grows like rice, but has a different botanical classification. It is the only grain native to North America and was an important food to Native Americans living in the regions where it grew. Today, most wild rice is cultivated in man-made paddies in Minnesota, California, and central Canada. When it is cooked, the dark chewy hull expands and the kernel pops, exposing the soft white center. Cooking times will vary from 35 to 55 minutes

About rice glossary : K-R

Kalijira

also called baby basmati and known in India as gobindavog. The grains look like miniature basmati rice grains, and, when cooked, have the same pleasant aroma and firm but tender texture. Available from Lotus Foods.

Mochi

a sweet treat made in Japan from soaked and cooked short-grain sweet rice that is pounded until perfectly smooth, then rolled into small balls or other shapes.

Parboiled rice

rice that is steam pressure–treated before milling, forcing all the nutrients from the bran layer into the endosperm. Hundreds of years ago the process of parboiling was practiced in India and Asia by soaking the rice and then heating it over hot coals. The United States industrialized parboiling during World War II to provide a nutrient and stable grain to the United States armed forces. It was marketed commercially by Uncle Ben’s as converted rice, a registered trademark. Parboiling greatly reduces breakage during milling, but many cooks, especially in food service, prefer it because it always cooks firm and can stand for long periods of time without getting sticky. It has a creamy tan color and a less sweet, starchy flavor than plain milled rice.

Paella

a popular rice dish that originated in Valencia in southeast Spain. It can be a simple dish of rice, beans, snails, and duck or rabbit, or a more elaborate one with shellfish, sausage, artichokes, and saffron. Bomba, Calasparra, and Valencia, three Spanish rices available in the United States, traditionally are used to make paella, but any medium-grain rice can be used

Pilaf

a Middle Eastern dish of rice sautéed in fat (butter or oil) and then cooked in broth that often includes vegetables and/or meats. Typically it is made with long-grain rice, but medium-grain rice is sometimes used in Turkish pilaf. Pilaf is from the Turkish word pilau or pilaw.

Red rice

aromatic rice with a reddish-brown bran layer, a nutty taste, and a chewy consistency. Look for American-grown Wehani, Bhutanese red rice (imported by Lotus Foods), or red Camargue (from southern France) in specialty markets. Excellent in salads, pilaf, soups, and side dishes

Rice bran

the tan nutrient-rich outer layer that gives brown rice its color. High in nutrients such as thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, iron, potassium, and fiber, rice bran is used in cereals, baked goods, and vitamins. Studies suggest that the oil in rice bran may have cholesterol-reducing properties. Rice bran is perishable; buy it at a reputable health-food store with a good turnover and refrigerate once the package is opened

Rice flour

finely ground rice, used in baked goods, breakfast cereals, pancake or waffle mixes, pasta, and snack foods. It is gluten-free and therefore cannot be substituted for wheat flour without adjusting the recipe.

Rice hull

rice’s inedible outside covering, or husk. Rice hulls are burned as a source of fuel, used as mulch, and are also used in manufacturing

Rice syrup

a mildly sweet syrup with the consistency of honey, made from rice fermented with enzymes from sprouted barley. Mostly used in the food industry as a coating for snack foods

Rice vinegar

vinegar made from fermented rice. Japanese rice vinegar is light and mild. Chinese rice vinegar is sharp and sour

Rice wine

wine made from fermented steamed rice. Sake and mirin (a sweet wine used in cooking) are two Japanese rice wines. China and other rice-growing cultures make a variety of alcoholic beverages, including beer and brandy, as well as wine, from fermented rice

Risotto

a northern Italian dish prepared by constantly stirring rice while adding small amounts of simmering broth until the consistency is creamy. Italians prefer medium-grain Vialone Nano, Carnaroli, and Arborio rices for risotto because they have a distinctive core, called the pearl, that remains just slightly firm when cooked. Baldo and California medium-grain rices can also be used

Rosematta

a parboiled rice from the Indian state of Kerala. The grains are large and almost round, about the size of barley, with a reddish bran and an earthy, meaty taste and aroma