help with keeping rice warm for party

shelagh

hi
my son is having a party tomorrow and i need advice on how to keep rice warm; pillau and boiled etc. any help would be much appreciated.
:beer: Thanks
shelagh

janb5

I think you have to be careful of keeping rice `warm` because it has qualities that encourage bacteria. I am sure someone posted about this some time ago. Once made, cover with tin foil but dont reheat.

emilyt

Personally i would serve cold rice straight from the fridge or if you want to serve it hot you have to serve it straight away.
The bacteria is Bacillus cereus. This can cause food poisoning and just isn't worth the risk. Google and read for yourself. Hope the party goes well.

MATH

I have to agree with the earlier posters. Rice is a nighmare for a hot buffet because it cools quickly, goes claggy if kept warm for too long and is a haven for nasty bacteria. I would serve it cooked fresh and hot or chilled. Sorry that's not the answer you were looking for:o

Gingham_Ribbon

http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/keepingfoodsafe/
'If you have cooked food that you aren't going to eat straight away, cool it as quickly as possible (ideally within one to two hours) and then store it in the fridge. Don't keep leftovers for longer than two days.

When you reheat food, make sure that it's piping hot all the way through. If the food is only warm it might not be safe to eat. Don't reheat food more than once.'

We have a little tray that you put tealights under to keep rice piping hot but we eat it within an hour and it doesn't have a chance to cool down. I would do as above and either serve it straight away, piping hot, or from the fridge.

V.Lucky

Be really really careful with rice. Having given myself food poisoning on more than one occasion with it, it's just not worth the risk.

Mr_Proctalgia

Either get it hot and keep it hot or cook it and chill/freeze it then re-heat it once and serve - DO NOT faff around with warm rice it can be deadly. Ideally get a rice cooker and serve directly from it.

Sorry its not what you want to hear but warm rice grows stuff better than Petrie dishes and can keep you on the Khazi for days. Heat quickly - Cool quickly = OK - Heat up and serve = OK - Warm = _pale_

Lunar_Eclipse

...is it possible to cook it in advance and keep it warm (in the oven)?

I'm having friends over for dinner and would like to serve chilli. There will be 12 of us in total. Is it possible to cook the rice before they arrive and thus keep it warm for up to an hour? I've tried this in the oven before but from memory I don't think it worked (top rice going crispy in the way pasta does.)

Any tips? I'm sure this is a normal thing to do but have no idea how to do it successfully. Thanks.

arealbasketcase

Hi, tell me about it, trouble is I actually like the crispy bits:rolleyes: . I do a dish that is based on this "mistake", just add baby carrots and petit pois (pre-cooked) and a few blobs of butter and it's lovely! However, in answer to your question:

You can keep rice warm by putting it in a large heat-proof dish or platter, fork it through well, cover it with a tent of foil and keep it warm in a preheated oven at 140C until ready to serve. If you do this immediately the moisture should be trapped and the heat not high enough to do any damage.

If you need your oven at a higher tempreture 'cos of the other stuff you are serving, cold rice can be steamed in a muslin-lined steamer for 5 minutes or so, stirring regularly until it is heated through, or put into a large pan of boiling water, brought back to the boil and drained immediately.

Alternatively, stir-fry the rice for a few minutes or heat it in a microwave just before serving.

Good Luck

Pink.

Hi Lunar Eclipse,

Rice contains a a nasty bacteria (bacillus cerius) that can cause problema if not stored at the correct temperature so I would be wary of keeping it warm for any length of time. What you can do is cook the rice beforehand and chill it as quickly as possible then reheat it (covered) in a microwave just before serving.

There's an earlier thread on keeping rice warm that may help so I've added your thread to it to keep the replies together.

Pink

scuzie

How about microwave rice...you can then heat as you need it? And there are different types. Not cheapest solution but...