Soyer's standard cookery

To Boil Rice. Wash the rice in several waters, rubbing it well between the hands to remove all dirt. Place the rice in a pan of fastboiling water, and be careful to choose one large enough for it, remembering that rice swells considerably in the cooking process. One to one and a half ounces of rice should be cooked in a quart pan, which should be three parts full of water, and have half a teaspoonful of salt and a few drops of lemon juice in it, the latter to preserve the whiteness of the rice. Stir occasionally. Boil the rice from ten to fifteen minutes, testing it by pressing it between the finger and thumb. When the grains feel soft, remove the saucepan from the fire at once and drain off the water; return the rice to the pan and set it on the corner of the stove to dry, shaking it occasionally. Some grains of rice will always stick to the pan, and to remove these put a small pat of butter in the pan, and as this melts the grains will fall away. The rice will take about ten minutes to dry, and should never be served until the moisture has been got rid of and the grains separated. Carolina rice swells more than Patna, and so requires rather more water than the latter. If the rice is boiled too slowly, or for too long a time, the result will be a sticky mass. A good plan is to pour in a pint of cold water when the rice is sufficiently cooked. This stops the boiling at once, and helps to separate the grains; if put close to the stove when the rice is first put into the pan, the cook will be able to throw it into the pan the moment the rice is tender. If the rice is to be served in place of a vegetable, it should only be partly cooked, and water all drained off, and then half a pint to one pint of stock put into the pan. This should be simmered until quite cooked, and then be drained and served. Plain Rice Pudding. No eggs or milk required. Put on the fire twelve pints of water in a saucepan, add to it, when boiling, one pound of rice (previously washed), or sixteen tablespoonfuls (one tablespoonful equal to an ounce), four ounces of brown sugar (or four tablespoonfuls), one large teaspoonful of salt, the rind of a lemon thinly peeled; boil gently for half an hour, strain the water from the rice, keeping the rice rather dry. The rice water is then ready for drinking either warm or cold; the juice of a lemon is then introduced to make it more palatable and refreshing. Add to the rice three ounces of sugar, four tablespoonfuls of flour, and half a teaspoonful of powdered cinnamon; stir on the fire carefully for five or six minutes, put it in a tin or pie-dish and bake. By boiling for a quarter of an hour longer the rice will be very good without baking. This will produce five pounds of pudding, and six pints of most wholesome beverage. The lemon and cinnamon may be omitted if not liked. Savory Rice Pudding. (Hot.) Boil three ounces of rice in half a pint of milk, season with pepper and salt; butter a pie-dish, lay in a layer of rice, sprinkle this with one ounce of grated cheese, add the rest of the rice, sprinkle with another ounce of cheese, dot some small pieces of butter all over the top; bake in a quick oven till nicely browned on the top. Rice and Chicken Andalusien.