Rice, grains, pasta water, brines, stock and dressings
Rough guide portions for a main course. Adjust up for big eaters or if there are no other substantial sides.
Each ratio is one part of the first item to the number of parts shown of the second.
| Item | Ratio | Measured by | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| White rice, long grain | 1 : 1.5 | volume | Rinse until the water runs clear, then simmer covered for 12 minutes and rest off the heat for 10. |
| Basmati rice | 1 : 1.5 | volume | Soak for 30 minutes first and the grains stay separate and lengthen properly. |
| Jasmine rice | 1 : 1.25 | volume | Needs less water than most long-grain rice — it turns claggy easily. |
| Brown rice | 1 : 2.25 | volume | The bran needs 40–45 minutes. Do not lift the lid. |
| Sushi rice | 1 : 1.1 | volume | Season with vinegar, sugar and salt while still warm, folding rather than stirring. |
| Risotto | 1 : 4 | volume | Add the stock a ladle at a time, hot, waiting for each to be absorbed. |
| Quinoa | 1 : 2 | volume | Rinse first or it tastes bitter. 15 minutes, then rest for 5. |
| Couscous | 1 : 1 | volume | Pour over, cover, leave 5 minutes, then fork through. |
| Steel-cut oats | 1 : 4 | volume | 25–30 minutes at a bare simmer. |
| Rolled oats (porridge) | 1 : 2 | volume | Use 3 parts for a looser porridge. |
| Polenta | 1 : 4 | volume | Rain it into the liquid whisking hard, or it goes lumpy immediately. |
| Lentils, dried | 1 : 3 | volume | Salt at the end — early salt keeps the skins tough. |
| Dried beans, soaking | 1 : 3 | volume | Overnight. They roughly double in weight and treble in volume. |
| Item | Ratio | Measured by | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pasta to water | 1 : 10 | weight | 1 litre of water per 100 g of pasta. Crowding the pan makes it gluey. |
| Pasta water to salt | 1 : 1% | weight | 10 g of salt per litre. It should taste seasoned, not like seawater. |
| Item | Ratio | Measured by | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brine, 5% (standard) | 1 : 5% | weight | Percentage is of the water weight, not the total. Good for poultry, 4–12 hours. |
| Brine, 3% (light) | 1 : 3% | weight | For quick brines and fish, under 2 hours. |
| Brine, 10% (heavy) | 1 : 10% | weight | Short cures and pickling only — an hour or two at most. |
| Item | Ratio | Measured by | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roux | 1 : 1 | weight | Equal weights. Cook out the raw flour for at least two minutes. |
| Béchamel | 1 : 10 | weight | 60 g roux to 600 ml milk gives a pouring sauce; halve the milk for a coating one. |
| Vinaigrette | 1 : 3 | volume | Three parts oil to one part acid. Whisk or shake hard to emulsify. |
| Simple syrup | 1 : 1 | volume | Equal parts. Use 2:1 sugar to water for a rich syrup that keeps longer. |
| Stock | 1 : 1 | weight | Equal weights, plus mirepoix at 2:1:1 onion, carrot, celery. Never boil. |
| Quick pickling liquid | 1 : 1 | volume | Equal parts, plus sugar to taste and 2% salt of the total liquid weight. |
Rice ratios are traditionally by volume: one cup of rice to one and a half cups of water. Brine and pasta-salt ratios are by weight, because a percentage of a liquid only means anything against its mass. Each entry above says which it is, and the calculator keeps you in one system rather than silently mixing them.
Salt percentages are always of the water weight, not the total weight of water plus food. A 5% brine is 50 g of salt per litre of water.
Most staples come down to a ratio. Pick what you are cooking, enter the one amount you know, and the rest is worked out for you — including how much water and salt a pan of pasta actually needs.
