Chef Juliette
Riz au Blanc (for Fowls and Eggs)
Riz au Blanc proves that plain rice is a technique, not an absence: parboil it in abundant salted water, drain it dry, then let butter and low oven heat separate every tender grain.
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Riz au Gras
Created by Chef Juliette
Based on No. 2252, Riz au Gras, from Le Guide Culinaire (1907) by Auguste Escoffier
Parboiled Carolina rice meets butter and rich white consommé, then finishes covered in the oven, each grain savory, separate, and gleaming. The consommé does the seasoning, so taste it first.
Side Dishes
French
Weeknight
Budget Friendly
One Pot
10 min
Active Time
25 min cook•35 min total
Yield4 servings
Riz au gras (rice cooked in rich broth and fat) teaches one true thing before you touch a pan: the liquid is not background. It is the seasoning. The rice should emerge savory to its centre, separate rather than dry, with a butter-gold sheen and no puddle beneath it.
The source assumed a stockpot of white, rather fat consommé never off the fire and a saucier ready to judge it. At home, use measured prepared chicken or veal consommé and a tight-lidded ovenproof pan. The half-pound of rice already gives four proper side portions, so that scale stays. The constant stockpot is brigade scaffolding and can go; parboiling, frying in butter, twice the rice's volume of consommé, and the fifteen-minute oven finish are the dish itself and must stay. One cook, one stove, one evening.
Before the rice meets the butter, warm and taste the consommé. It must already taste as complete as the rice should taste at the table, because fifteen minutes in the oven cannot give character to a timid broth.
Riz au gras belongs to the garniture repertoire of Parisian classical kitchens and the cuisine bourgeoise table, where rice accompanied poultry, veal, and generously sauced meats. The method moved easily between grand service and the home pot because its richness was concentrated in a finished consommé, while parboiling and oven cooking kept the grains separate without constant attention. Gras does not call for oily rice; it distinguishes meat-broth cooking from maigre, or meatless, preparations.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
Carolina or other long-grain white rice
Quantity
1¼ cups (300 ml / 225 g)
water
Quantity
8 cups (1.9 L / 1.9 kg)
for parboiling
unsalted butter
Quantity
3 tablespoons (45 ml / 42 g)
rich, well-seasoned white chicken or veal consommé
Quantity
2½ cups (600 ml / 600 g)
with its fat retained
rendered poultry fat or unsalted butter (optional)
Quantity
1 tablespoon (15 ml / 13 g)
only if the consommé is lean
fine salt (optional)
Quantity
Up to ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml / 3 g)
only if the consommé needs it
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Carolina or other long-grain white rice | 1¼ cups (300 ml / 225 g) |
| waterfor parboiling | 8 cups (1.9 L / 1.9 kg) |
| unsalted butter | 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 42 g) |
| rich, well-seasoned white chicken or veal consomméwith its fat retained | 2½ cups (600 ml / 600 g) |
| rendered poultry fat or unsalted butter (optional)only if the consommé is lean | 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 13 g) |
| fine salt (optional)only if the consommé needs it | Up to ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml / 3 g) |
Equipment Needed
- •2-quart ovenproof saucepan with a tight-fitting lid
- •Large saucepan for parboiling
- •Fine-mesh sieve
- •Small saucepan for warming the consommé
Instructions
- 1
Judge the consommé
Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Warm the consommé in a small saucepan and taste it hot. It should be full-bodied and properly salted, because the rice receives no other seasoning. If it tastes dull, add only enough salt to wake it; if it is too salty, replace up to ¼ cup (60 ml) with the same amount of unsalted water. If it has no visible richness, stir in the poultry fat or extra butter. The surface should gleam lightly, not carry an oil slick.
White consommé means a broth made without deeply browned bones or vegetables. Chicken or veal is right here; dark beef consommé would overwhelm the rice and change the character of the dish. - 2
Parboil the rice
Bring the water to a strong boil in a large saucepan. Add the rice and boil for 4 minutes, stirring once at the beginning to separate the grains. The outside should just begin to soften while the centre remains hard and chalk-white. Drain in a fine sieve, shake away the water, and leave the rice for 2 minutes so its surface dries. Wet rice dilutes the butter and clumps instead of frying.
- 3
Fry in butter
Melt the butter over medium heat in a 2-quart ovenproof saucepan with a tight lid. When the foam subsides, add the drained rice and turn it gently through the butter for 2 to 3 minutes. Every grain should glisten, and the rice should sound faintly dry against the pan. Keep it moving enough that the butter stays golden rather than scorching; if it begins to color quickly, lower the heat at once.
- 4
Moisten and bake
Pour in all the hot consommé, preserving the source's measure of twice the rice's dry volume. Bring it to one full boil, stir once to distribute the grains, then cover tightly and place the pan in the oven for 15 minutes. Do not stir again while it cooks, since agitation releases starch and turns separate grains sticky. At 15 minutes, taste a grain. If it is tender but a little liquid remains, return the pan uncovered for 3 minutes. If the rice is firm and the pan is dry, sprinkle over 2 to 4 tablespoons (30 to 60 ml) hot water or consommé, cover, and bake 5 minutes longer. Ça se rattrape.
- 5
Rest and loosen
Remove the pan from the oven and let the rice stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Loosen it with a fork, lifting rather than pressing so the grains remain distinct. The finished riz au gras should be savory, tender, and lightly glossy, with no broth pooled at the bottom. Transfer it to a warm serving dish or carry the pan directly to the table. À table!
Chef Tips
- •Use ordinary long-grain white rice or Carolina rice, not quick-cooking or packaged converted rice. The recipe performs its own parboil, and repeating that treatment gives soft, tired grains.
- •The consommé carries the dish. Choose chicken or veal with a clean, concentrated flavor and enough natural fat to leave a gentle sheen. Crystal clarity matters less once the liquid is absorbed, but depth and seasoning matter completely.
- •Use a broad 2-quart pan rather than a narrow saucepan. The shallow layer cooks evenly in fifteen minutes, while rice piled deeply may remain firm in the centre and wet at the edges.
- •Serve riz au gras beside roast chicken, veal, or a fricassée whose sauce it can catch. It needs no herb confetti or decorative flourish. Cooking well is not cooking fancy.
Advance Preparation
- •The consommé can be measured, tasted, and chilled up to one day ahead. Warm it thoroughly before adding it to the buttered rice so the oven cooking begins without delay.
- •For the best separate texture, parboil and bake the rice just before serving. Leftovers should be cooled promptly and refrigerated for up to two days; reheat them covered with 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 30 g) consommé and a small piece of butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 190g)
Calories
320 calories
Total Fat
11 g
Saturated Fat
6 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
4 g
Cholesterol
30 mg
Sodium
600 mg
Total Carbohydrates
46 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
0 g
Protein
9 g
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