Rice crispy

Here's a trick to create a great garnish for salads or fish, meat or poultry dishes. Heat a couple of inches of cooking oil in a very small pan until it's almost smoking then put around a tablespoon of uncooked rice into the oil, preferably in a strainer so it's easy to remove.

After 6-7 seconds it puffs up like small grains of popcorn. Drain and dry on kitchen paper. It's crunchier and less fluffy than popcorn, but absolutely delicious with a pleasing texture and a nutty flavour.

It was a method explained to me by Glynn Purnell, who serves wild rice popcorn with several of his dishes.

Careful with the oil, though. Serious burns would be a high price to pay for a garnish.