anyone know something simple to add to rice to give it a subtle taste?

Question

I'm doing BBQ shrimp tonight in a sweet/garlic marinade. I'm serving them over rice but would like to kick up the rice so it's not completely bland. Any simple ideas? There MIGHT be some left over marinade but I don't want to bank on it. I'd like the rice to just have a subtle taste on its own.

Answer 1

Use chicken broth instead of water. You can also cook some chopped onion in butter or olive oil, then stir in the rice and stir it around for a minute. Then add the chicken broth and finish cooking.

Answer 2

You can always cook the rice in a broth or stock. But, something I had in Texas once that would go great with shrimp and seafood in general is picking up a packet of Zatarain's or Old Bay (I'm not sure which they used, but both would be good) crab boil seasoning and tossing the packet in the water for a while.

Also, unless I'm making sushi rice, I never use plain white rice. Brown, wild, jasmine, basmati... There are so many rices out there that have so much natural flavor, and a lot more nutrients.

Answer 3

1 tablespoon of cooking oil and a pinch of salt! Simple and no one will know that you cast a spell in your rice and make it taste a little different.

If you want it tastes real good and goes well with shrimps try to cook the rice with a tablespoon of white wine or rice wine and fish stock (boil the shrimps' heads and shells with 1.5 cups of water for about 30 minutes) + chicken stock + a pinch of salt. When the rice is done, you can serve it with your BBQ seafood and sprinkle lemon juice on the rice. Garnish with finely chopped fresh dill. Easy and yummy.

Bon appetite!

Answer 4

For a contrast with your sweet garlic marinade, do use chicken broth to cook the rice, but add a tablespoon or so of fresh lemon juice at the end of cooking. A small amount of saffron, or turmeric (poor man's saffron) will give your rice a lovely color. You can also add baby peas or sauteed onions towards the end of the cooking to add texture and additional flavors to the rice.

Answer 5

You can roast garlic and simmer it in the rice while you're cooking. Also use chicken or vegetable stock for the rice instead of water, and maybe add a little finely chopped onion.

Also, you may want to consider using either jasmine or brown rice. Jasmine has a sweeter flavor and a very flowery aroma, brown rice has a nutty taste and goes excellent with shrimp.

Answer 6

Cook rice first early in the day &I make fried rice with alittle hot oil add rice and alittle soy sauce and the secret to a good taste is a teaspoon or 2 of black bean with garlic sauce in alittle jar put out by Dynasty or go to your Asian market and get it there. It's rich in taste and brown, so use alittle, the taste goes a long way, also saute alittle mushroom & onions dices in that oil before you put the rice in the fry pan or wok. yum enjoy

Answer 7

Just add some color to the rice
sprinkle a little Mrs Dash and diced pimentos
You want the shrimp to be the center of the flavor.

Answer 8

I like a little bit of parmesan cheese or garlic in my rice, but definately cook it in vegetable, chicken or beef stock, it makes the rice much more flavourful. Orange juice is good too instead of water haif stock half orange juice!!

Answer 9

I like to add a can of Cream of Chicken soup to mine, you could do Cream of Shrimp soup, just stir the contents of the can directly into your rice.

Of course you can add in all kinds of cut up veggies to your plain rice and use something like a Mrs. Dash or other strong seasoning on it.

Answer 10

you can also use vegetable broth for a great vegetarian option. The only time to truly season pasta and rice is during the hydration process. whatever you boil them in, they will absorb.