Photo: Cheesy Rice Cake Stuffed with Herbs and Greens Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter, plus some to grease pan and dot top of cake
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 1/2 cups long grain white rice
- 1 cup grated grana padano cheese or Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Salt and freshly grated black pepper
- 1/4 cup EVOO
- 3 to 4 baby fennel, or 1 bulb fennel, trimmed and chopped
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 small handful golden raisins, optional
- 1/2 cup packed chopped fresh herbs (tarragon, thyme and parsley)
- 1 large bunch Swiss chard, stemmed and chopped
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 3/4 cup homemade or panko breadcrumbs
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch springform cake pan.
In a saucepot, bring the stock, rice, 1 cup water and butter to a boil. Stir, cover and cook 16 to 17 minutes. Stir in three-quarters of the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Cool.
Pile half of the rice into the cake pan and mold across the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
Heat the EVOO in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the fennel, garlic, onions, raisins and some salt and pepper, and cook to soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the herbs. Wilt in the chard and season with a little nutmeg, then deglaze the pan with the wine and cook to evaporate. When the greens have cooked down, remove them from the heat and fill the cake with the greens. Top the cake with the remaining rice and then with the breadcrumbs mixed with the remaining cheese. Dot the cake top with the butter and bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temp, or chill and freeze for a make-ahead meal. Reheat covered in a moderate oven until heated through, then crisp up the top uncovered.
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By akulcsar
on March 06, 2013
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Wonderfully flavorful. Textures are varied and add great complexity. Works very well as an appetizer. Raisins add a nice sweetness. Just overall well done.
By jennylove72203
flemington, NJ
on January 22, 2013
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Delicious. And easy! Perfect for parties since it can be made ahead, and it presents beautifully, in a rustic italian sort of way. I will definitely make again, and look forward to experimenting with different fillings. PS. I highly recommend using the "optional" raisins.
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