Ingredients

• 1 cup long grain white rice
• 1 2/3 cups water for fluffier rice or 1 1/2 cups water for firmer rice suitable for making fried rice

Instructions

1. You will need a small pot with a lid. A capacity of 1 to 3 quarts is good.

2. Bring the water to a strong boil at highest temperature.

3. Add the rice to the boiling water. Swirl the rice once with a spoon so that it covers the bottom of the pot uniformly.

4. Watch the rice boil until you see the bubbles form a pock-marked pattern with its vigorous boiling. This takes 1 to 2 minutes.

5. Lower the heat to simmer. About 2.5 out of 10 on the dial is about right on my stove. Your stove may need to be set slightly higher or lower. You want the heat to be high enough so that steam is always being formed in the pot, but not so hot that the rice scorches on the bottom of the pot.

6. When the boiling dies down a bit, cover the pot and set the timer to 20 minutes.

7. Remove the lid of the pot, and your rice is done. For your first batch, test the rice with a fork and give it a taste test. It should be fluffy and tender.

8. (The texture of fried rice benefits from a firmer rice kernel. Use 1 1/2 cups of water instead of 1 2/3 cups of water to achieve this texture. When it is done, leave the lid off the pot and allow the rice to cool. Then use the cooled rice in your fried rice recipe. The cooling is optional.).