Time: 1 hour to soak, 20 minutes to cook and finish

Left to its own devices, new-crop rice like ours—rice that is milled and cooked within four months of harvest—will cook to a sticky finish. But it doesn't have to. This recipe method, a deep-water parboil and chill-down, produces pearly grains of great delicacy and superior mouthfeel. It's the rice Uncle Ben's longs to be. When it comes to cooking, however, translate delicate as "fragile." Don't beat this rice up in the colander or the pot, and take care not to overcook it. You will be rewarded with a dish of such simple refinement, it is known as "Charleston ice cream" around here.

Equipment Mise en Place
For this recipe you will need a large bowl, a fine, footed colander, a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan, a wooden spoon, a rimmed sheet pan, and a spatula.

Working Ahead
The rice may be cooked and chilled a day in advance. Then proceed to step 3.

Ingredients
1 cup (7 ounces) Anson Mills Carolina Gold Rice
4 cups spring or filtered water
Fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions
1. Turn the rice into a large bowl and rinse it with cold water until the water runs clear. Drain and refill with water to cover the rice. Soak 1 hour. Drain and set aside.

2. Bring the spring water and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan. Add the rice, stir once, and return to a boil. As soon as the water boils, reduce the heat. Simmer gently,uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the rice is just tender with no hard starch at its center, about 5 minutes. Drain the rice through a fine, footed colander and rinse it well with cool water.

3. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Spread the rice evenly over a rimmed sheet pan. Place it in the oven to dry, turning gently from time to time with a spatula, 10 minutes. Dot the rice with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue turning the rice until the butter has melted and the rice is hot, 5 minutes. Transfer to a warm serving bowl and serve immediately.

Makes 3 cups, serves 4