A few weeks ago, when the weather turned boiling and the tarmac became soft, I made a bad rice salad. The principal reason for this was the overcooked rice, which was my fault for three reasons: I was using a brand I have never used before and didn’t read the packet; I forgot to set the kitchen timer; and I ignored my instinct to tip it out (dog? Cake? Compost? Bin?) and start again. To my overcooked rice I added not-tasty tomatoes, tough minced parsley, extra-virgin olive oil, a bit too much vinegar, olives, capers and hard-boiled eggs; I also added an expensive tin of tuna, which did a brilliant job of making the whole thing taste better, although still not good. Everyone agreed that it was a depressing dinner, then we went out for ice-cream.
The good thing about making a bad rice salad is the need to redeem and reassure myself that I am capable of making not only a good one, but a great one, though I do appreciate that today’s first paragraph might make you doubt this. A good rice salad begins with well-cooked long-grain rice and involves a good balance of four vegetable elements: raw (tomatoes, red pepper, cucumber, celery, say), cooked (beans, courgettes, peas, sweetcorn), vegetables preserved in oil (peppers, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, aubergine), and pickled or salted vegetables (dill pickles, olives, capers, caper berries). There should also be some form of protein, whether that’s tuna, cheese, tofu, salami or wurstel; possibly involve (tender) herbs; be dressed with oil and a little vinegar; and always be finished with egg (slices, wedges or chopped – you decide).
