Ruz bi Sh'iryeh
رز بالشعيرية·(Ruz bi Sh'iryeh)
The Daily Yakhni: Weeknight Stews
If there is a singular scent that yanks a first-generation kid right back to an Ohio childhood, it’s butter and oil toasting tiny strands of pasta on a Tuesday night. This is the humble, indispensable bedrock for whatever rich, bubbling yakhni happens to be on the stove. Forget the fluffy basmati you see peddled online; the old guard used plump, short-grain rice that drinks up broth without falling apart, and in America, Calrose is your best friend. It’s not about rare spices or complicated gadgets. It’s about patience: washing away the starch, pushing the pasta to the exact edge of burnt, and respecting the grandmotherly ritual of a resting towel.
Before you start
Wash the rice aggressively to eradicate surface starch.
Place the rice in a fine-mesh strainer and run cold water over it, massaging the grains gently until the water runs completely clear. This is non-negotiable for fluffy grains.
Ingredients
- Calrose rice1 1/2 cup
- vermicelli pasta1/2 cup
- unsalted butter1 1/2 tbsp
- neutral oil1 1/2 tbsp
- kosher salt1 1/2 tsp
- water2 3/4 cup
Method
- 01
Toast the vermicelli in the hot butter and oil.
Heat the butter and oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until bubbling. Add the vermicelli and stir constantly until it reaches a deep, dark golden brown. Look away for a second, and it will burn.
- 02
Coat the washed rice in the hot fat.
Immediately add the drained, washed rice. Stir vigorously for a minute or two to slick every single grain in fat, building a protective shield that prevents clumping.
- 03
Add the boiling water and salt, then boil hard.
Carefully pour in the boiling water—it will aggressively sizzle—and stir in the salt. Let it boil uncovered until the water drops perfectly level with the rice and little steam craters form on the surface.
- 04
Drop the heat, cover tightly, and simmer.
Turn the burner down to the absolute lowest setting, cover the pot tightly, and let it cook undisturbed for exactly 15 minutes. Don't peek.
- 05
Rest the rice with a kitchen towel beneath the lid.
Turn off the heat entirely. Quickly lift the lid, drape a clean, dry cotton kitchen towel over the pot, and press the lid firmly back down to catch condensation for 10 to 15 minutes.
- 06
Fluff gently and serve steaming hot.
Remove the lid and towel, using a fork to gently separate the grains and distribute the vermicelli before transferring to a platter.
Notes
Never substitute long-grain rice.
Basmati will rob you of that essential, tender chew. Calrose or Arborio mimic the Egyptian short-grain rice traditionally used by Levantine grandmothers.
The synergy of butter and oil is mandatory.
Butter delivers the nostalgic flavor, while oil prevents the milk solids from burning and slickly coats the grains to prevent a gummy mess.
From Cook Lebanese in America.