You Must Add Artichoke Marinade to a Batch of Rice

The hearts of pickled artichokes aren’t quite the pickle, but they feel spiritually connected to them. They make a great accent for sandwiches, pizzas, salads, or appetizers, and they’re packaged in a flavorful liquid that’s made from brine and butter, and flavored with a variety of seasonings. This liquid is not as strong as pure brine – it is softer and a little richer – but it makes a nice pot of rice.

Adding leftover brine to rice is something I’ve been doing for a while now. Pickling liquids give the rice a nice flavor and piquancy, but liquid from a jar of pickled artichokes is milder. You get some vinegar but mostly oil, and this oil gives your rice a rich, herbal, vegetal flavor without overpowering it. You won’t be blown away by the invigorating sourness of the brine (or the pungency of the feta brine ), but you’ll notice that the rice tastes a little better.

To use up any leftover artichoke marinade, simply add it like water to your next batch of rice. You may not have enough for a whole batch, but that’s okay – just make up the difference with water (or other liquid). Cook rice as usual and enjoy.

If you need a rice cooking method (and don’t have a dedicated rice cooker), we have one for the stovetop , but you can also use an instant pot (which I usually do). Add one cup of washed white rice to the Instant Pot and pour the remaining artichoke marinade into a measuring cup. Add water (or feta brine) to a cup until you get 1 cup of liquid. Add to rice, cook at high pressure for 3 minutes, then let the instant pot come out naturally for 10 minutes. Whisk with a fork and garnish with finely chopped herbs to enhance, but not overpower, the taste of the artichoke sauce.