Rice

Although rice has rarely, if ever, been commercially grown in England, it appears in more-or-less every English cookbook since Cury 1390, usually as an ingredient. A rare early reference to rice as an accompanying vegetable in its own right is in Digby 1669 where "Boiled Dry Rice" is presented with butter, sugar and cinnamon.

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Original Receipt in 'The Closet Of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight, Opened ' (Digby 1669)

BOILED RICE DRY
The manner of boiling Rice to eat with Butter, is this. In a Pipkin pour upon it as much water, as will swim a good fingers breadth over it. Boil it gently, till it be tender, and all the water drunk into the Rice; which may be in a quarter of an hour or less. Stir it often with a woodden spatule or spoon, that it burn not to the bottom: But break it not. When it is enough, pour it into a dish, and stew it with some Butter, and season it with sugar and Cinnamon. This Rice is to appear dry, excepting for the Butter, that is melted in it.

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