How to make the rice

[ruby137]

Hello

Been to Halki a few times and hope to visit again next year!
Everytime i've been, I have always ordered 'rice' as the side dish, as I love it so much!
Can anyone tell me why it tastes so different, but nice? What do they use to cook it? It seems to taste the same everywhere I go on the island, but I don't know how to emulate it at home.

Any input is much appreciated.

Cheers,
Ruby

[kalliopi]

Welcome to the forum Ruby. Sorry I don't know the answer, hopefully someone will come along that does. Have tried Googling Greek rice recipes?

[Liz]

I dont know either ! ..but would be interested to know

[ruby137]

thank you both! Yes have googled it and most seem to have recipes with butter, chicken broth/stock, salt & pepper and lemon. Might give them a try soon! Otherwise I shall have to wait until I get to taste the real thing again hehe

[Liz]

I was going to say about the stock .. The rice is tastier and 'thick' if that makes sense
I sometimes do a one pot chicken & chorizo dish with rice and because it all cooks together the rice is lovely

[rodhewitt]

Hello Ruby
Maybe it's not rice at all but kritharaki or orzo which is rice shaped pasta, very popular in mediterranean cooking. We always take some back home with us as well as gigantes beans from Tariel at Lefteris supermarket. See here for some good photo's - homeingreece.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/manestra/

[Kinygos]

Two ways rice has flavour:

1) Its own flavour. eg. Basmatti, Thai.
2) the stock you cook it in.

I'm not that keen on Greek rice, But I will check the supermarkets tomorrow. They seem to use rice with dark grains mixed in. So I will investigate.

Of course if I find a speciality rice mix in Rodos, you may not find it in the UK!

[Kinygos]

I am reasonably sure that this is the mix that they use on Halki...



First problem is to source it in the UK.
Next problem is to find the stock in which to cook it!

[Di]

Maybe we're just lucky, but we can get the orzo and the gigantes (same brand) in our Tesco

Actually we are lucky (bragging now) as we also have a Greek wholesaler who supplies the Greek restaurants

[maria]

I've never tried the rice in Halki, I'm tempted now (only another 12 days...)

That photo looks as though it has 'wild rice' which I believe isn't actually rice but something else, mixed in with it. I've bought something that looks similar in Tesco in the past.

[ruby137]

Thank you for the picture, yes thats exactly what it looks like!

[jamesthebutler]

I'll ask my Uncle next time we meet up ,but you probably know him ?



JtB