Fluffy Cilantro Lime Rice

Steps

1. Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Drain well.
2. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the rice and stir until the grains smell lightly toasty.
   ⏱ Toast rice: 2 min
3. Add the water and salt and bring to a

   boil (how to boil)

   Boil Heat liquid until big bubbles rise and break all over the surface. 1. Use a pot big enough that the water fills it no more than three quarters.2. Cover it to boil faster, over high heat.3. Salt pasta or vegetable water once it boils.4. Add the food, stir, and bring it back to a boil before you start timing. Done when: A rolling boil keeps bubbling hard even when you stir. Safety: Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove, and drain pasta into a colander in the sink, pouring away from you. Steam burns fast: lift lids and foil away from your face, tipping the far edge up first.How to boil water for pasta and vegetables: mistakes to avoid

   over high heat.
4. Turn the heat to low, cover tightly and

   simmer (how to simmer)

   Simmer Cook liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles breaking the surface now and then. 1. Bring the liquid up over medium-high heat.2. As soon as bubbles rise steadily, turn the heat down.3. Adjust until only a few small bubbles break the surface every second or two.4. Stir now and then and check that it hasn't crept back to a boil. Done when: You see lazy, small bubbles, not a rolling boil. A "bare" simmer has just a bubble here and there. Safety: Steam burns fast: lift lids and foil away from your face, tipping the far edge up first.How to simmer: mistakes to avoid

   without lifting the lid.
   ⏱ Simmer: 15 min
5. Turn off the heat and let the rice

   rest (how to rest)

   Rest Leave cooked meat, baked goods or dough alone for a while before you cut, slice or shape it. 1. Move meat to a board or plate as soon as it is done (a few degrees shy of target for big roasts; it keeps rising).2. Tent it loosely with foil if the kitchen is cool.3. Rest steaks and chops 5 minutes, roasts 15 to 20, a turkey 30.4. For dough, cover it so it doesn't dry out while it relaxes. Done when: Meat juices stay in when you slice; dough rolls out without springing back. Safety: Rest at room temperature for under an hour, then refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking.How to rest meat and dough: mistakes to avoid

   , covered.
   ⏱ Rest: 10 min
6. Grate the lime zest (how to zest)

   Zest Scrape off just the thin, colored outer skin of a citrus fruit, where the fragrant oils are. 1. Wash and dry the fruit.2. Hold a rasp grater over the bowl (or over the food, so the oils land there too).3. Draw the fruit across the grater with light pressure, turning it after each stroke or two.4. Stop as soon as you see the white layer underneath, then move to a new spot. Done when: The fruit looks pale but still has its white layer, and the zest is fluffy and colored, not white. One lemon gives about 1 tablespoon. Safety: Rasp graters are very sharp; keep your fingers on the far end of the fruit.How to zest a lemon, lime or orange: mistakes to avoid

   right into the pot, then add the lime juice and cilantro.
7. Fluff and toss everything together with a fork. Taste and add more salt or lime if you like.

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Tips

• Add the lime and cilantro after cooking. Cooked in, they lose their fresh flavor.
• For brown rice, use 2 3/4 cups water and simmer about 40 minutes.

Storage

Refrigerate within 2 hours and keep up to 4 days. Reheat covered with a splash of water until steaming.

How long leftovers keep, and freezing and reheating: leftovers and storage.