The Queen’s Rice

An Italian-leaning jasmine rice ritual from the AOM Forge Kitchen
Serves: 2–3 Method: Instant Pot Style: Bay leaf · Olive oil · Kerrygold

A warm, golden bowl built for royalty: jasmine rice toasted in olive oil and Kerrygold butter, perfumed with bay leaf, and finished glossy and tender. This is the rice that earned the Queen’s approval, now sealed into Forge Kitchen canon.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup jasmine rice (or long-grain white rice)
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (to coat the pot)
  • 1 tablespoon Kerrygold butter
  • 1 whole bay leaf
  • ½–¾ teaspoon salt, to taste
  • Optional: pinch of black pepper or Italian herbs for serving

Method – Instant Pot

  1. Wake the Forge.
    Set the Instant Pot to Sauté, then press it again until it reaches the stronger “More” setting. Let the inner pot heat for a minute.
  2. Build the foundation.
    Add the olive oil and Kerrygold butter. When the butter melts and just begins to foam, the pot is ready.
  3. Toast the grain.
    Add the dry jasmine rice. Stir continuously for 1–2 minutes until the grains turn slightly opaque and smell warm and nutty. This toast is what gives the Queen’s Rice its Italian soul.
  4. Add the bay leaf & salt.
    Drop in the bay leaf and sprinkle in the salt. Stir once to coat the rice evenly.
  5. Add water & seal.
    Pour in the water, give one gentle stir, then cancel Sauté. Seal the lid and set the valve to Sealing.
  6. Pressure cook.
    Cook on Pressure Cook (High) for 4 minutes.
  7. Natural release.
    When the timer finishes, let the pot sit for 10 minutes on its own (natural release). After that, switch the valve to vent to release any remaining pressure.
  8. Fluff & serve.
    Open the lid carefully. Remove the bay leaf. Fluff the rice gently with a fork until the grains separate and shine.
The finished rice should be pale golden, glossy, and tender—soft enough to comfort, structured enough to stand beside a main dish with dignity.

Serving the Queen

Serve warm with an extra whisper of Kerrygold on top, a crack of black pepper, or a light snow of parmesan. Pairs beautifully with roasted vegetables, lemon-butter fish, chicken, or as its own small bowl of quiet luxury.

Logged in the Forge Kitchen as “The Queen’s Rice” – once approved, this ritual is not to be rushed or altered without ceremony.

The Queen’s Spinach

Butter-soft greens with a whisper of lemon, forged to stand beside The Queen’s Rice
Serves: 2 Method: Stovetop Skillet Profile: Butter · Sea Salt · Bright Lemon

Tender spinach leaves collapsed in Kerrygold butter, finished with the lightest touch of lemon. This is not a side dish; it is a green velvet cloak that wraps around The Queen’s Rice and completes the plate.

Ingredients

  • 6–8 oz fresh spinach (baby spinach or regular, rinsed and dried)
  • 1–1 ½ tablespoons Kerrygold butter
  • Salt, to taste (start with ¼ teaspoon)
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • A small wedge of lemon or a few drops of lemon juice
  • Optional: pinch of garlic powder or a tiny grate of fresh garlic

Method – Stovetop Ritual

  1. Warm the pan.
    Set a skillet over medium heat. Let it come up gently—no rushing the forge.
  2. Melt the butter.
    Add Kerrygold butter and let it melt and quietly foam. Tilt the pan so the butter coats the surface.
  3. Add the spinach.
    Pile the spinach into the pan. It will look like too much. It is not. Use tongs or a spoon to turn the leaves in the butter as they begin to wilt.
  4. Season with intent.
    When the spinach is halfway wilted, sprinkle in salt and black pepper. If using garlic, add the tiniest pinch now and toss again.
  5. Collapse & coat.
    Cook just until the leaves are fully wilted but still a deep, bright green—about 2–3 minutes total. They should be glossy with butter, not swimming in liquid.
  6. The lemon whisper.
    Turn off the heat. Over the pan, give the lemon wedge a very light squeeze—just a few drops. Toss quickly to distribute.
The lemon should lift the flavor, not drown it. If you can clearly taste “lemon” as its own element, you’ve added too much. The ideal is a quiet brightness at the back of the bite.

Serving the Queen

Spoon the spinach beside or partly over The Queen’s Rice, letting a little of the lemon-butter trail into the grains. Add one last grind of pepper on top. Serve immediately, while the greens still shine.

Logged in the Forge Kitchen as “The Queen’s Spinach” – to be prepared with calm hands and zero hurry.

Forge Note: Deglazing with Espresso

When your cast iron holds a thin caramelized layer of butter, herbs, or fond from vegetables, you can unlock another dimension of flavor by deglazing with a tablespoon of fresh espresso.

The heat hits the espresso and immediately pulls the browned bits from the skillet, creating a dark, aromatic glaze with notes of caramel, toasted grain, and quiet bitterness. This micro-sauce drizzles beautifully over rice, vegetables, meats, or even the final plate as a chef’s mark.

Use sparingly. Espresso is powerful—treat it like alchemy, not broth.