The First Rachael Ray Recipe I Ever Threw Away
I don’t drink wine. I do, however, use it to cook with often and when making cocktails, like one of our favorite summertime drinks, Mom Juice. When I saw Rachael Ray make a Red Wine Rice on 30 Minute Meals the other day, I knew it would be a perfect use for some wine we’ve been accumulating, since doubling the recipe would nicely take care of a full bottle.
The recipe, like most, if not all, of hers, was dirt simple. Boil wine in a saucepan with olive oil and a bay leaf. Add rice, lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes until done. Since we were having company over for dinner, and knowing The Husband’s penchant for all things rice, I doubled the recipe. I have to say, the smell of wine as it was heating up was overpowering, and when the rice was done, it still was. Not only overpowering but absolutely inedible. It was like pouring yourself a glass of wine and adding some bits of cooked rice to your glass. It pained me to do so, but it seriously is the first recipe of hers I’ve thrown away. It just wasn’t salvageable. Forget the fact that it was her recipe … I can’t remember a time when I have trashed a dish that didn’t even make it to the table. Just.plain.inedible. Consider this a public service announcement.
Red Wine Rice with Grapes
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, 2008
Show: 30 Minute Meals
Episode: Escape the Mundane
1-3/4 cups dry red wine
1 fresh bay leaf
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup white rice
1 cup red or black seedless grapes, halved
Bring red wine to a boil with bay leaf and olive oil, stir in white rice and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes, stir in grapes, turn off heat and let stand 5 minutes.
June 26th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
That just sounds GROSS. Wine needs to be cut with something when cooking — maybe using half the wine and an equal part chicken broth would have helped?
June 26th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
I’m glad to hear this, because I am big RR fan, and make a lot of her recipes. I’ve only had one of her recipes go bad for me, too, but it wasn’t inedible. Sorry you had to throw it out!
June 26th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Cate, I’m so sorry that you had to trash the entire dish. I know the feeling when a should-be-trusted recipe turns its back on you!
June 27th, 2008 at 8:32 am
Wine is used in cooking to give a good tangy flavor. Dump this much wine to cook anything, and you are looking for trouble. It does not matter where the recipe is coming from.
June 27th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
It looks like ’someone’ doesn’t know the principles (or slept through) Risotto 101.
Sorry, Cate… I look at all RR recipes with a careful eye.
Maybe the extra wine was a sangria wannabe?
June 27th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
You know, I saw that episode too. I was wondering if it would actually turn out. Thanks for the 411.
June 28th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Rachel - Ever since she came out with that Drunken Pasta recipe a year or two ago, I wondered the same thing. Pass!
Jan - Sangria would have been a much better use of the wine, for sure!
Regina - totally agree.
Sarah - you try it and let me know. ;)
Mrs Ergul & Deborah - luckily it rarely happens. :)
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Lately, I can’t seem to make rice the first time I try. It pains me, but I often have to throw it out and start over.
Perhaps, half wine and half water would work.
August 9th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
I think this one belongs in the ‘Yuk O” recipe book.