Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice - Oven Method

My restaurant-style Mexican Rice recipe was a real hit with my friend Lily, with whom I've gotten acquainted through the blog. But she is in the habit of cooking her rice in the oven, so she adapted my recipe to her oven method. And then I adapted her method ...

Turned out beautifully and freed up some stove space for other things. So if you want to get the rice off your stovetop - and off your mind - while you're cooking other things, you should try this Mexican Rice - Oven Method.

If you've read my original Mexican Rice post, you know that I think where a lot of people go wrong is in the seasoning. They think any food called Mexican needs to be spicy. But the rice should add some variety to your plate, something mild - but flavorful - to balance out the heat and spice of everything else.

I perfected my recipe using Lundberg organic long-grain white rice and a 5 1/2-quart Le Creuset Round French Oven. To get consistent results, I use the same rice and the same pan each time. This is a lot of rice, but I make this amount every time. Just refrigerate or freeze the leftovers, and reheat in the microwave. Lily thinks it's even tastier after being frozen.

My "rice teacher" Julia, referred to in that earlier post, will be coming for a visit next month, so I put a dish of this in the freezer and will see if it will reheat well enough to suit her.

Do you know of a great way to reheat cold rice? How about frozen rice?

Update 05/26/17: For two generous servings, I put 3 cups of the thawed rice in a 1-quart glass bowl, added 1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces) of water, topped it with a silicone lid (raised a bit at one point along the edge by a folded bit of paper towel to vent) and microwaved on full power for 5 minutes. It was the fluffiest rice ever!

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Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice - Oven Method

(Makes 20 servings)

4 cups (32 fluid ounces/946 ml) chicken broth (vegetable broth or water, if you're vegetarian)
3 cups (24 fluid ounces/710 ml) water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces/118 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 2-pound bag (32 ounces/907 grams) medium- or long-grain white rice (I use Lundberg organic long grain)
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce (I use Muir Glen organic; it is THE best!)

1 In 3-quart saucepan, bring broth, water and salt to a simmer while browning the rice. The amount of liquid called for varies between brands. My preferred brand calls for a ratio of 1 1/2 cups liquid to 1 cup rice, and I think that ratio would be best with any brand.

2 Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas4. In 5 1/2-quart pot, heat olive oil and stir in rice (straight from the package--do not rinse). Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally*, until rice is lightly browned. This may take 20 to 30 minutes. Throw in a few whole cloves of garlic at some point, if you like. They can be removed before the next step or before serving.

* Leave rice alone for 5 minutes or so between stirrings to give the bottom layer a chance to brown a bit.

3 Gradually stir tomato sauce into rice and cook for a minute or two, then add the hot liquid to the rice. Bring to a full boil and stir just once. Put the lid on tightly, and place in the preheated oven. Cook for 5 minutes, then turn the oven off and leave the covered pot in the oven for 25 minutes.

4 If this is your first time making this, take a really quick peek to see if liquid has evaporated and rice is done. Cover and let stand, off heat, for 10 minutes. Then fluff with a fork (I use a pair of forks for this amount). Garnish, if you like, and serve. Garnishes might include a squeeze of lime juice, chopped cilantro, or frozen peas.