I have a 2 quart sauce pan in the fridge with one to two servings of rice in it. What I normally do is remove the rice to another vessel, and then soak the pan in some hot water to remove the stuck stuff on the bottom (which then goes down the garbage disposal).
What I am thinking is to add some stock (1/4 to 1/2 cup or so) to the pan and use it to remove the stuck stuff, then simmer to reduce while sautéing some onion, garlic, shrooms, etc. in butter/EVOO in a small skillet… then folding it into the rice/stock, seasoning with soy or tomato sauce and other seasonings and simmer abit longer.
Sounds interesting, give it a try. It is possible that this will make your rice a little soggy but if that doesn’t bother you, go for it. I actually like soupy rice. In fact, I’d probably add more liquid and go for a bastardized congee kind of thing.
Actually, the texture of the rice itself was surprisingly good. Pan was clean as a whistle after 1/4 cup of stock. The simmer dried out pretty quickly after that.
I did overdo it with the buttered sautéed veggies… next time I think I will use oil (and less of it), cut the time from 5 to 2 or 3, and add it a little later under more heat as they were definitely overdone.
But wait, there’s more! If you cook rice with a teaspoon of coconut oil added to the water, it substantially increases the formation of resistant starch. How much? Well, a cup of white rice usually weighs in at about 200 calories. Cooking it in water with coconut oil added and refrigerating the rice for 12 hours worked a 10x increase in resistant starch, That 200 calories shrinks to about 100 when you reheat and eat.
Yeah, leftover rice kept at room temperature is a pretty good culture for all kinds of bacterial nasties. Still, at the ricepad pad, it’s not uncommon for leftover rice to sit on the counter for a day or two before being used in something. I throw it out if I see fuzz or interesting colors, but if I don’t see anything odd, it’s a 50/50 proposition that I use or toss. Nobody has ever gotten sick from eating my old rice, and I intuitively know I’ve just been lucky over the years. Sam’s Magic House, indeed! The older I get, though, the less I believe in magic, and put the leftover rice in the fridge.
Maybe we’re both lucky, or maybe it’s just not a lethal danger for non-compromised eaters. I’ve been eating unrefrigerated leftover rice for >65 years, and leaving self-cooked out for probably >50. Nobody’s gotten poisoned from it.
I have never heard of eating unrefrigerated fried rice until now. Do you find the taste or texture any different from cooked rice that has been refrigerated? And has the rice been cooked in water? I’m asking because I usually cook my rice in chicken stock and I would be worried about leaving the leftovers at room temperature after…
I’ve read and heard this and not to ever microwave ity, either. I’ve let it go for 4-5 days and nuked it. Mind you, I’m not talking plain white rice, but spiced rice. I make fried rice once per week for some of my school lunches.
I am really going to have to leave it out on the counter next time.
