Cooking rice ahead

[Weegle]

I've got 10 coming for dinner tonight, doing curry. They are coming at 8pm, aim to serve about 8.30. Is it possible to cook the rice at about 7.30 then put in dishes covered with foil in the oven to keep warm? DH thinks it will dry out. It's a Murder Mystery so I don't really want to be cooking once people are here.

DONT, I have just had done a food hygiene course, the biggest cause of food poisoning is rice reheated or kept warm!

I was very shocked, cos have often reheated it!

What about micro rice that you can do as your serving?

Less chance of it drying out if you can keep it warm over a pan of water on the hob, but could be difficult for 10! If you're using good quality rice, like basmati, should be OK in the oven, just might need fluffing a bit before serving. HTH.

If you're concerned about the safety aspect, look here www.tildafoodservice.com/downloads/tilda_guide_rice_heath_hygiene.pdf. Should be OK for an hour according to this.

What I do is boil rice in plenty of water, then empty into drive and put over pan of simmering water to keep it steaming, keeps it very hot and fluffy and eliminates risk. I think

ok thanks all - I think I'll just cook it when people are here, don't want to poison anyone! I'll have it all set up ready and then it shouldn't take too much of my attention.

I always make rice ahead of time, once its cooked, I run it under the cold tap, then put it in the fridge, then blast in the microwave until its piping hot.

Rice is perfectly fine to reheat as long as its cooked properly in the first place - the FSA dont properly explain this. I always reheat rice! I have stored it in hte fridge overnight and reheated and cooked it in a pan, left it go cold - then reheated it.

Microwave with cling over is a good way.

I have done a few food hygine courses and they all put the fear of god into you but never say that if cooked properly by heating over 100 deg c.

I have never met anyone or been poorly myself from reheating.

The guidelines about not reheating rice is really about takeaway rice as it has already been reheated once. Most takeaways make a large batch of rice a few times a night and reheat the amount as necessary. I think it would be better reheated in the microwave rather than left in an oven ad could dry out quite a lot