Perfect Brown Rice

1. Bring water and salt to a boil in a heavy saucepan. 2. Add rice and stir once. 3. Bring to a slow simmer. 4. Turn burner to lowest setting (barely on). 5. Cover with lid and cook for 35 minutes. 6. DO NOT remove lid during cooking - steam is essential. 7. After 35 minutes, turn off burner but don't remove lid. 8. Let rice sit covered for 15 minutes. 9. Fluff and serve. Yields about 2 1/2 cups cooked rice. Recipe scales: use 1 part rice to 1.5 parts water. Tip: Rice freezes beautifully - make a big batch and freeze half for quick weeknight meals.