If you've ever tried to cook brown rice, you've probably realized that it has little to do with its easy-cooking white cousin. The brown stuff – while far healthier, chewier, and nuttier – is notoriously difficult to cook, easily dissolving into a gluey mess scattered with seemingly uncooked grains.After a few sad attempts on the stovetop, I took a cue from Food Network's resident rocket scientist, Alton Brown, and moved the party to the oven.
His method for oven-baked brown rice comes out perfectly every single time, and doesn't require any pot-watching. Just chuck it into the oven and come back in one hour.
Give it a try, and you'll be down with the brown!
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups brown rice, medium or short grain
2 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Place the rice into an 8-inch square glass baking dish (I use a rectangular stoneware dish, and am sure other dishes of similar dimension would sub just fine).
Bring the water, butter and salt just to a boil in a kettle or covered saucepan. Once the water boils, pour it over the rice, stir to combine, and cover the dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil (or a tight-fitting lid, if the dish has one).
Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, remove cover and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve immediately.
