Alton Brown's Method For Perfect Brown Rice Doesn't Involve The Stove

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We love Alton Brown for his quirky personality and equally unconventional approach to cooking. So, it doesn't come as a surprise that he strays from the stovetop method of rice cooking. Brown shared a recipe for brown rice on an episode of "Good Eats," which bakes rice in the oven for a hands-off method with perfectly fluffy results.

The oven provides a more even heat distribution as air circulates from all directions, whereas with the stovetop method, all the heat comes from the bottom. Consequently, the oven will cook the rice more evenly, preventing texture problems you might encounter on the stove, like mushy rice with a scorched bottom. Since the oven is a dry cooking method, it'll also help eliminate more moisture than the stovetop method, resulting in more separate and fluffy grains. Brown's recipe calls for a longer cooking time than the stove, but it's also a more hands-off and foolproof method that doesn't require constant monitoring and comes out fluffy and flavorful every time.

Brown's baked brown rice recipe instructs you to spread the grains into a rectangular glass baking dish. As your oven preheats to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, bring water to a boil either in a kettle or pot. Once the water reaches its boiling point, you can turn off the stove and pour it over the rice in the baking dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil before sliding it into the oven to bake for an hour.

The oven offers the ideal textural upgrade for brown rice, but you can use it on other types of rice, especially indica, the world's most popular varieties. The same water-to-rice ratio (2:1) applies in the oven as with the stove. In addition to improving texture, the oven's low and slow cooking method will really intensify the nutty flavors of rice and any other seasonings you might want to add. You can bloom the flavors of herbs, aromatics, or dry seasonings first on the stove by adding the seasoning to the water you'll bring to a boil. You'll essentially make a savory infusion for the rice to absorb slowly and thoroughly in the oven. Swap water for 365 Whole Foods organic chicken broth for even more flavor.

Another great way to ensure flavorful rice without any additional seasonings is by toasting the rice. You can toast rice in the oven or over the stove. The stove method is quicker, taking around 5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. The oven will take around 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. You could toast the rice in the oven while you season and prepare your cooking liquid, then turn the oven up to 375 degrees Fahrenheit to bake your rice. 

Alton Brown recommends toasting rice with a bit of butter or oil as a key step for flavorful rice. Of course, you can make baked rice a one-pot meal using this recipe for Tahchin.