The Amazing World of Rice (24 page)

The clam juices cook into the rice, imparting the complex flavors of the sea. The technique is similar to making paella, but less complicated. But use the same rice as you would in a paella recipe: a medium-grain rice with a creamy texture that will absorb the sweet clam juices. The cooked rice will be slightly sticky, as in paella. Top the dish with a fresh tomato, red onion, and cilantro salsa.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 to 2 links chorizo (4 ounces), casings removed and diced small

1½ cups uncooked Arborio, Baldo, or other medium-grain white rice

2 cups frozen lima beans, thawed

½ cup dry white wine, optional

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1½ to 2 pounds small Manila clams, scrubbed

Salsa

2 cups diced ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 pound)

½ cup finely chopped red onion

½ cup chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon minced garlic

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

• 1.
  Preheat the oven to 450°F.
  
• 2.
  Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large stovetop-to-oven baking dish, Dutch oven, or paella pan. Add the chorizo; cook, stirring, over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and lima beans; cook, stirring, until well blended. Add the wine, if using; boil until evaporated by half, about 2 minutes.
  
• 3.
  Add 3 cups water and the salt; heat to a boil. Flatten the rice with a spoon so that it is covered with water; do not stir. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat until half of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
  
• 4.
  Tuck the clams, hinged side down, into the rice. Cover tightly with foil and transfer to the oven. Roast until the clams have opened and the rice has absorbed
  all of the liquid, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven; let stand, covered, for 10 minutes before serving.
  
• 5.
  Meanwhile, for the salsa:
  Combine the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and black pepper in a bowl; stir to blend.
  
• 6.
  To serve, spoon the rice and clams onto a platter, or serve directly from the pan. Spoon the salsa over the top.
  

This saucy ratatouille was inspired by the description in
Long Ago in France
written in 1929 by the late prolific writer on food and other subjects, M. F. K. Fisher. She wrote, “I learned to make ratatouille from a large strong woman, a refugee, not political, but economic, from an island off Spain.” Fisher cooked her version slowly for five to six hours in a warm oven, probably more out of necessity than intent. I take a few shortcuts, thanks in part to the modern thermostat that allows an oven to heat up more or less accurately to any temperature one chooses. But my ratatouille, kept purposely sauce-like so it can be spooned over rice, does, like M. F. K. Fisher's, make a delicious and nourishing meal. It is especially good when the hot rice is first topped with a handful of shredded Gruyère cheese, as it is here.

1 eggplant, trimmed, peel alternating strips of skin and cut into ½-inch-thick slices

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, cut into ½-inch pieces

1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, cut into ½-inch pieces

1 green bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, cut into ½-inch pieces

3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1 zucchini, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces

1 yellow squash, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces

One 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, with their juices

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped basil

1 teaspoon thyme leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups uncooked medium-or long-grain white rice

1 cup coarsely shredded Gruyère, or more as needed

• 1.
  Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  
• 2.
  Lightly brush both sides of the eggplant with half of the olive oil; arrange on a baking sheet. Bake until browned on the bottom, about 15 minutes. Turn and brown the other side, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly, then cut into 1-inch squares. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
  
• 3.
  Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the onion, and peppers in a large wide ovenproof saucepan or deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Cook over medium-
  low heat, stirring, until the vegetables are golden, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, with their juices, basil, thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, and a grinding of black pepper. Heat to a boil; cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 5 minutes.
  
• 4.
  Cover the pan and transfer to the oven. Bake for 1 to 1½ hours. Let stand, covered, while the rice cooks.
  
• 5.
  Heat 3¾ cups water to a boil in a wide shallow saucepan or deep skillet. Stir in the rice and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook over low heat until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
  
• 6.
  Meanwhile, season the ratatouille with salt and pepper; reheat if necessary.
  
• 7.
  To serve, spoon mounds of rice onto dinner plates. Sprinkle half the cheese over the rice. Ladle the ratatouille on top. Top with more cheese. Serve at once.
  

R
ice puddings are enjoyed all over the world
. In Thailand, a favorite is rice cooked in coconut milk served with luscious slices of ripe mango. A classic American rice pudding is rice slowly baked in custard with a sprinkling of ground cinnamon on top.

I have known and loved sweet rice pudding since childhood, but it was not until I was an adult that I first tried savory puddings. Inspired by a friend's recipe for noodle pudding made with mushrooms and onions, I adapted the idea with great success to rice. This ability to transform itself from a much-loved sweet dish eaten for breakfast or dessert to a savory side or main dish illustrates once again the out-standing versatility of rice.

Some of my favorite rice puddings (either sweet or savory) use precooked rice, a thrifty way to use up a cup of two of leftovers. Other puddings begin with uncooked rice. Almost any type of rice can be used in a pudding. Long-grain white rice makes a moderately creamy rice pudding. Medium-or short-grain white rice, like Arborio, Baldo, or sushi rice, make the creamiest puddings of all. One of my favorite puddings is made with medium-grain brown rice and sweetened with maple syrup. Coconut milk rice pudding, a favorite in Thailand, is made with black or white rice. Both versions, when served with slices of ripe mango, are addictive. But then, I've never met a rice pudding that wasn't.

Use all white button mushrooms or a combination, if you prefer (see the box following). A mixture of white button and the more flavorful cremini is nice. Or you might slice a few shiitake into the mix. (Remember the tough stems of shiitake mushrooms need to be discarded.) If preferred, substitute another relatively mild cheese like shredded Gruyère. Or for a totally different flavor, use grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Sonoma Dry Jack.

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 ounces white button or cremini mushrooms (or a combination), trimmed and cut into thin slices (about 2 cups)

½ cup chopped onion

¹
/
₃
cup chopped Italian parsley

1 teaspoon thyme leaves

1 teaspoon rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon minced garlic

½ cup diced (¼-inch) rinsed and patted dry jarred roasted red peppers

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups cooked medium-or long-grain white or brown rice

4 ounces cold goat cheese, crumbled

2 large eggs

2 egg yolks

2 cups whole milk

• 1.
  Preheat the oven to 325°F. Set a shallow 8-inch square or 11 × 7-inch baking dish inside a 13 × 9-inch baking pan. Set a kettle of water on to heat.
  
• 2.
  Heat a large skillet over medium heat; add the oil. When it is hot enough to sizzle a mushroom, add all of the mushrooms; cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the onions cook over medium-low heat until the onions are tender and the mushrooms are golden brown, about 5 minutes.
  
• 3.
  Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley, thyme, rosemary, and garlic together. Add to the mushrooms; cook for 1 minute. Stir in the roasted red peppers, 1 teaspoon salt, and a generous grinding of black pepper. Remove from the heat.
  
• 4.
  Add the rice, breaking up any clumps with the side of a spoon; stir to blend. Let cool slightly. Gently stir in half of the goat cheese; transfer to the baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining goat cheese on top.
  
• 5.
  Whisk the eggs and yolks in a large bowl until blended. Gradually whisk in the milk. Add 1 teaspoon salt and a grinding of black pepper. Carefully pour over the mushroom and rice mixture.
  
• 6.
  Place on the center oven rack. Carefully add enough very hot water to the baking pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake until the custard is almost set in the center and the tip of a knife inserted just off center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let the pudding stand in the hot-water bath for 15 minutes before serving. (The center will continue cooking and setting as the pudding stands.)
  

Tender fresh corn at the height of the season is my very first choice for this pudding. But if fresh corn is not available, canned white shoepeg corn kernels are an acceptable substitute. However, there is really no substitute for the warm smoky taste of chipotle chiles (see the box following). Small cans of these chiles are available in most large supermarkets, and they give the custard a distinctive flavor, not to mention a hint of heat.

2 cups whole milk

2 cups corn kernels (about 4 ears)

2 large eggs

2 egg yolks

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 to 3 teaspoons pureed chipotle chile in adobo sauce (see box)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cups cooked medium-or long-grain white or brown rice

1 cup diced plum tomato flesh (seeds and pulp removed) (3 or 4 medium)

½ cup thinly sliced scallions (white and green parts)

2 teaspoons minced seeded jalapeño

2 cups shredded Cheddar (4 ounces)

• 1.
  Preheat the oven to 325°F. Set a shallow 8-inch square or 11 × 7-inch baking dish inside a 13 × 9-inch baking pan. Set a kettle of water on to heat.
  
• 2.
  Combine the milk and 1 cup of the corn kernels in a blender jar; blend until smooth.
  
• 3.
  Whisk the eggs and yolks in a large bowl until blended. Gradually whisk in the milk mixture and the flour. Whisk in the chipotle chile, salt, and pepper to taste.
  
• 4.
  Combine the rice, tomatoes, scallions, jalapeño, half of the cheese, and the remaining 1 cup corn in the baking dish; stir to blend. Spread into an even layer. Carefully pour the custard mixture over the rice mixture. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese.
  
• 5.
  Place on the center oven rack. Carefully add enough very hot water to the baking pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake until the custard is almost set in the center and the tip of a knife inserted just off center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let the pudding stand in the hot-water bath for 15 minutes before serving. (The center will continue cooking and setting while the pudding stands.)