I’m a pretty good cook, but if I have one bug-a-boo, it’s what this title is hinting at—something fluffy, tasty, and oh so TRICKY. Rice. I’m not talking instant Uncle Ben’s here. I’m talking the real deal—long grain brown rice cooked from scratch. I shudder to think of all the pots of rice I have driven to a gummy, scorched grave.

And as you might guess, I’m fed up with this lack of ability, and besides, it’s a little embarrassing. How is it a cookbook author can’t even cook a pot of non-sticky (aka fluffy) rice? I dunno, but things have to change.

So to the Internet I went. And after wading through loads of advice and YouTube how’tos, I ran onto a New York Times article about this very thing. Writer and reporter, Kim Severson, confessed she was struggling with this same issue and was also determined to resolve it.

As I read her story my heart warmed. Like me, she too had been told several times to just go buy a rice cooker and that would take care of the problem. Well, I have a rice cooker (and the rice I make from it isn’t very good, honestly). What I really want to know how to do (and reporter Kim wanted as well) is to be able to turn out awesome rice using a standard kitchen pot with lid.

Kim kept digging and experimenting until she hit the answer, and she shared it in her article. The solution? Bake it in the oven. Simple.

Regarding what she found out, Kim says, “Baking rice in the oven offers an easy way to control time and temperature and frees up the burner on the stove. Shallots or a little onion can be sautéed in the butter before adding the rice, and chicken stock or other liquid can be substituted instead of the water for a full pilaf experience.” This photo shows my rice “cooking” in my cast iron enameled pot alongside a dish of baking chicken. It really is a simple approach.

And the exciting thing is, once you master this basic fluffy, tasty rice technique, the sky’s the limit to what else you can come up with. Consider: the above-mentioned rice pilaf, rice risotto, rice with seasonal vegetables, and rice puddings, just to name a few dishes.

So back to cooking (or baking) rice in the oven. Here is Kim’s tested and sure-fire method for preparing 2 cups of rice. You can easily increase the amounts:

1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Rinse 1 cup of long grain brown or white rice well under cold water.

3. In a large ovenproof saucepan, heat 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium heat until it foams.

4. Add the rice and stir to combine it with the butter.

5. Cook until your rice is coated with butter and starts to smell nutty.

6. Then add 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt.

7. Bring it all to a boil.

8. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and place in the pot in the oven.

9. Bake for 17 minutes. Remove the rice from the oven and let it stand 10 minutes without removing the lid.

Kim calls this method her “Can’t Miss Rice.” I’ve since tried her technique three different times, and she’s spot-on. My rice is now fluffy, tasty, and not tricky anymore! If you’re also rice-challenged, give this approach a try and see if you don’t agree as well.