These days, we’re leaning more on grain salads in
our day-to-
day cooking, for all kinds of good reasons: They make a sturdy brown
bag lunch that’s friendly to adaptation, more robust and filling than green
salad, and more exciting than a big pot of brown rice. They do the work of carb
and vegetable (and sometimes even protein) at once.
Now may be a good time to take a step back, to
1985, when Viana La Place and Evan Kleiman wrote Cucina
Fresca—a book all about simple Italian foods that taste best at room
temperature, a bible for make-ahead lunches (and dinners) and stressless picnic
and party foods. This book, and this recipe in particular, are among the first
that co-owner Matt Sartwell recommends at Kitchen Arts &
Letters when customers are looking for cookbooks to improve their
routines.
La Place and Kleiman’s style of cooking has ridden
out decades of trends by keeping it simple. In the case of this salad, for
example, rely first on the grains—two kinds of rice. Cook them in two pots to
give them both space, neither dragging the other down if you mistime or
misunderstand them. Let them cool. What comes next is just a few utterly modest
brightening agents (celery, parsley, red onion, oil, and vinegar). It needs
nothing else. Don’t go rummaging in the fridge—once you start adding, you’ll tip
the balance, and only then will you risk its tasting inadequate.
Serves 6 to 8
1 cup (185g) long-grain white
rice
½ small red onion,
minced
3 celery stalks, peeled and
minced
¼ cup (15g) minced fresh
parsley
DRESSING
½ cup (120ml) vegetable
oil
2 tablespoons olive
oil
¼ cup (60ml) balsamic vinegar or
red wine vinegar
2 to 3 teaspoons Dijon
mustard
Coarse salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1 If using basmati rice, rinse it in several changes of
water before cooking. Cook the rices separately in abundant amounts of salted
boiling water until the grains are tender yet firm to the bite, 7 to 10 minutes
for the white rice and 30 to 40 minutes for the wild rice. Drain the cooked rice
into a large sieve and run cold water over the rice until the grains feel cool
to the touch. Drain the rice thoroughly. Mix with the onion, celery, and parsley
in a large bowl.
2 To make the dressing, combine
the vegetable oil, olive oil, vinegar, and mustard in a small bowl. Pour over
the rice mixture. Toss thoroughly to mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Rice
salad will generally keep for up 4 days, covered, in the refrigerator.
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