Rinse the rice thoroughly using a fine mesh strainer. (The water should run close to clear but not completely.) Transfer the rice to a baking dish (with a tight-fitting lid or you can use foil) along with thewater, olive oil, vinegar, salt, black pepper, bay leaves, carrots, celery, shallots, and red pepper flakes, if using. Mix well and cover (or tightly wrap with foil.)
Bake the rice for 35-40 minutes. Depending on your oven, you might need to bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until the rice is tender and fully cooked. (While the rice bakes, you can toast the pecans and gather the other garnishes.)
Remove the rice from the oven and fluff the rice with a fork. Crack the lid on top of the rice and let sit for 10 minutes. Then, transfer the rice to a large serving platter or shallow bowl. Use a large fork to fluff the rice, remove the bay leaves, and set aside to cool.
Add the pecans to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dry toast for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant. (I like to get some color on the pecans for maximum flavor.) Transfer the toasted pecans to a cutting board and let cool for 10 minutes. Once cooled, roughly chop and sprinkle over the rice.
To finish the rice, sprinkle over the chopped parsley and then squeeze over the juice of the lemon. Toss well to mix and then sprinkle with flaky salt, to taste. Serve!
Note: Keep in mind that this cooking time is for long-grain white rice. If you use a brown rice variety, it will take longer to bake.
