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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 160 Minutes |
Ready In: 160 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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Here's the deal...Company is coming and you want to make an Italian meal. You're tired of the standard and mundane fare. What to do? Bomb! Rice bomb that is. This is impressive in looks and flavor. A rice ring covered in ham, with a savory beef rugu (almost ike a Bolognese with porcinis in it). Read more . It is a dish from around Parma, Italy so you know it has Parmesan cheese in it too. It is labor intensive but if the company is worth it, so is the labor involved. What the heck, you and your family are worth the labor, so indulge yourselves for a change. Ingredients:
1/2 pound deli cooked ham, sliced thinly |
1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in enough warm water to cover them |
1 carrot, scraped clean and roughly chopped |
1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped |
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped |
1 cup frozen peas |
1 pound ground beef |
1 tbl. tomato paste |
1 pound canned peeled plum tomatoes |
1 tbl. extra virgin olive oil |
1 tbl. butter |
1 clove garlic, minced |
2 tbl. parsley |
salt to taste |
fresh ground pepper to taste |
6 cups chicken or beef broth (the best you can find, not something packed with salt) |
2 1/2 cups arborio rice |
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese |
1 tbl. butter |
1/4 cup heavy cream |
Directions:
1. Lightly (but completely) butter a 9 ring mold (9 x 2 1/4 ).
2. Line the mold with the ham, overlapping the slices slightly so that the mold is completelt covered, and there is a 2 overhang around the rim.
3. Cover and refrigerate.
4. Take the soaking porcinis and drain them (straining and reserving the water), sqeeze out any excess water.
5. Dice the porcini and set aside.
6. Place the onion, carrot, and celery on a large chopping board and mince them (if careful not to puree them, this step can be done in a food processor).
7. Heat oil and 1 Tbl. butter in a sauce pan, add the minced vegetables and saute over low heat until soft, stirring as it cooks.
8. Add the garlic, stir it in and cook until it softens (no color).
9. Add the beef and cook stirring frequently until it just changes color.
10. In a mixing bowl combine the tomato paste, plum tomatoes and 1/2 cup of the reserved porcini liquid, stir slightly breaking the whole tomatoes.
11. Add the tomatoes to the beef mixture.
12. Stir in the parsley and seaon with salt and pepper to taste.
13. Cover the pan and simmer the ragu for 1 1/2 hours.
14. About 10 minute before the ragu is cooked, add in the porcini mushrooms and peas. This should be a very thick sauce with no loose liquid.
15. Keep warm while you cook the rice.
16. Bring the broth to a boil in a pot.
17. Stir in the rice, cover and cook, stirring ocasionally until all liquid is absorbed.
18. Stir in the cheese, butter, and heavy cream.
19. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
20. Remove the mold from the refrigerator and pack the rice evenly in the mold.
21. Fold the overhanging ham over the rice.
22. Place the mold into a baking pan large and pour water into the pan allowing it to come up about half way up the mold sides.
23. Bake for 25 minutes or until the rice is hot.
24. Remove the mold from the water bath and carefully run a knife around the inside of the mold to loosen.
25. Place a serving dish, larger than the mold over the top of the mold and invert the dish and mold together (hopefully it will unmold easily).
26. Remove the mold and fill ithe center with the ragu, reserving some to serve on the side.
27. Garnish the ragu in the center with some chopped parsley.
28. Serve hot with the extra ragu in a sauce boat, by cutting wedges at the table and spoon some ragu over it.
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