Parmesan Rice with Ham and Bacon

Name: Parmesan Rice with Ham and Bacon
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 500 g white rice; 2 cups meat broth or water (see the notes: this is less liquid than 500 g of rice normally needs); 1 onion, finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; Salt and pepper; 350 g parmesan cheese, grated (generous; half this amount still works); 150 g ham, diced; 150 g bacon, diced (fry it before it goes in, or it stays raw); Oil

White rice fried first with onion and garlic, then cooked in broth and finished with parmesan, ham and bacon stirred through. Frying the rice before the liquid goes in is what keeps the grains separate. Serves five.

Total: 50

JUMP TO RECIPE

White rice fried with onion and garlic before any liquid goes near it, then cooked in broth and finished with parmesan, ham and bacon stirred through. It is a full plate rather than a side.

Frying the rice first

This is the step that decides the texture, and the original recipe called it pearling, which is a literal translation of the Spanish and means nothing in English.

What it means is this: the raw grains go into the hot oil and are stirred for a few minutes until they turn translucent at the edges while staying opaque and white in the centre. That coating of fat stops each grain from releasing starch into the pot, which is what keeps them separate instead of claggy.

It takes two or three minutes and it is the difference between Colombian rice and boiled rice.

Two things to watch

The liquid is short. Two cups of broth for 500 g of rice is well under the usual two-to-one ratio. Keep more broth hot and add it if the pot goes dry while the rice is still firm.
The cheese is generous. 350 g of parmesan against 500 g of rice makes cheese the loudest thing on the plate. Half that amount gives a more balanced dish and costs a good deal less.

Neither is wrong exactly, but neither is obvious from reading the list, and both change how the dish turns out.

Fry the bacon

The recipe offers the choice of adding the ham and bacon raw or frying them first. Fry them. Bacon stirred raw into finished rice does not cook: it sits there pale and chewy, and the fat that should have flavoured the dish stays in it.

Frying takes five minutes while the rice is covered anyway, and the rendered fat can go into the pot with it.

More rice

Coconut rice — the famous one, from the coast.
Chorizo rice — same method, with chorizo fat doing the work.
Mushroom rice — the vegetarian version.
Arroz paisa — with everything from the bandeja in it.

Parmesan Rice FAQ

What does it mean to pearl the rice?

It is a literal translation of the Spanish and means frying the raw grains in oil for a few minutes until they turn translucent at the edges and stay white in the middle. The coating of fat stops them releasing starch, which is what keeps them separate.

Is two cups of broth enough for 500 g of rice?

It is less than the usual two-to-one ratio, so keep extra broth hot and add it if the pot dries out while the rice is still firm. Rice absorbs different amounts depending on the variety and how long it has been in the cupboard.

Do I have to fry the bacon first?

Yes. Raw bacon stirred into finished rice will not cook through; it stays pale and chewy and the fat that should have flavoured the dish never renders. Fry it while the rice is covered and add the fat too.

Is 350 g of parmesan too much?

It is generous. At that proportion the cheese dominates everything else on the plate. Half is plenty for most tastes and considerably cheaper, and you can always add more at the table.

Can I use a different cheese?

Parmesan is chosen for being hard, salty and dry, which lets it melt into the rice without turning stringy. Pecorino behaves the same way. Softer cheeses like mozzarella will clump rather than distribute.