bobby flay
rice
coconut
5-ingredient
easy
side dishes

This yummy (and easy) side dish comes from Bobby Flay's latest cookbook Bobby At Home. You only need 5 ingredients to make it—including coconut milk, which gives it a rich flavor. The key to getting it nice and crispy is using cold rice.

Pro tip: If you can make the rice the night before or use leftover rice from Chinese takeout, all the better. The rice really needs to be cooled and separated to get really crispy – it will not work with warm rice. 

Bobby likes to serve this with his Instant Pot Ropa Vieja. 

Adapted from Bobby At Home: Fearless Flavors From My Kitchen by Bobby Flay. Copyright © 2019 by Bobby Flay. Used with permission by Clarkson Potter. All rights reserved.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsweetened full-fat canned coconut milk
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups Carolina long-grain rice
  • ½ cup thinly sliced scallions, plus more for garnish
  • ¼ cup canola oil

Yield

Serves: 4

Preparation

Combine the coconut milk, 2 teaspoons salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the rice and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender, about 18 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Spread the rice in an even layer over a large baking sheet and let cool completely, about 30 minutes. The rice can be made up to 24 hours in advance; store it on the baking sheet, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator. 

Combine the rice and scallions in a large bowl. Heat the oil in a large cast-iron or nonstick pan over high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the rice and, using a heavy-duty metal spatula, immediately press the rice down into the pan until the top is flat. Cook, without stirring, until the bottom becomes golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes (start checking at 4 minutes, making sure not to burn it). Turn the rice over and press down firmly on the top again. Cook until the bottom is golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with more scallions, and serve.