Risotto Timbale Recipes

SARTù DI RISO (NEAPOLITAN RICE TIMBALE)

Steps:

• Start by making the ragù, using the ingredients listed above and following the method for Angelina's Sunday Sauce.
• Precook the rice: Mix the ragù and water together, season generously with salt. (Taste the liquid to make sure it is quite savory.) Put the rice and the liquid together in a saucepan, bring to a boil. Stir once, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and let cook for 15 minutes, stirring only once about halfway through. The liquid should be fully absorbed and the rice should still be slightly underdone, rather chalky to the tooth.
• Then transfer the rice to a large mixing bowl and let it cool entirely, then add the remaining eggs, cheese and parsley. Taste and adjust for seasoning-the rice should be very flavorful. (NB: While the rice is simmering, you can let your dried mushrooms soak.)
• Make the polpettine: Mix all of the ingredients listed above together in a large bowl. Form them into the smallest meatballs you can manage, about the size of hazelnut, rolling them between your palms. Fry your little meatballs in abundant olive oil until they are nicely browned on all sides. Make sure that you leave lots of room in the pan for them to fry properly; you will probably need to fry them in batches. NB: Since they're so small, they will cook in only a few minutes. Drain them on paper towels.
• Set up your mis en place: Fish out a few of the sausages from the ragù and slice them up. Slice the mozzarella and get your peas. You should now have everything ready to go: your rice, your soaked mushrooms, the little meatballs, the frozen peas, your sliced mozzarella. Lay them out on your work space so you're ready to put everything together.
• Prepare the stuffing: Mix together the sausages, meatballs, peas and mushrooms. Nap them with a ladleful of ragù and mix so they are well coated. Taste and adjust for seasoning; the stuffing should be rich and savory.
• Assemble the sartù: Line a mold of your choice very generously with butter (or, if you really want to be authentic, lard) then breadcrumbs. (I like to use a Charlotte mold, but there are other possibilities; see Notes below.) Make sure to line the mold very well. This step is really important to avoid the rice sticking to your mold. And that would be a real shame after all the effort you're putting in...
• Take two thirds of the rice mixture and line the bottom and sides, leaving a large well in the middle for the stuffing. Make sure the rice makes a rather thick 'wall' around the sides, enough to hold up the finished timbale. Add the stuffing into the well, starting with a layer of mozzarella, then the stuffing ingredients, proceeding in layers until you're almost (but not quite) up to the top of the mold, like so:
• Then add the rest of the rice and flatten it out so it is flush with the top of the mold. Sprinkle with some more breadcrumbs and dot with some more butter (or lard).
• Bake the sartù in a moderate oven (180C/350F) for a good 30-45 minutes, depending on the shape and size of the mold, until the top is golden brown. (If using a ring mold or individual molds, it will be done in more like 20-30 minutes.)
• Remove the sartù from the oven and let it rest for a good 10-15 minutes. (It can wait up to 30 minutes if you like and some recipes tell you to do so. The longer the wait, the more solid the sartù will be.) Again, this step is critical to keep the sartù in shape.
• Unmold the sartù by placing a large plate over the top of the mold, then, using oven mitts or towels so you don't burn yourself, holding and flipping both mold and plate over together. Then, with the mold upside down on the plate, give the bottom (now the 'top') of the mold a good wack with a heavy knife or mallet or something to loosen it from the mold. Gently lift the mold up, just a smidgen, shaking it a bit until you feel the sartù come loose from the mold and drop onto the plate.
• Serve the sartù whole, cutting it at table like a cake for your dinner guests, along with a sauce boat of the remaining ragù and some freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese for those who want some.

RISOTTO TIMBALE

Steps:

• Heat the stock with 1 1/2 cups water and the saffron and keep warm.
• Heat 2 turns of the pan EVOO in a pot and cook the pancetta to render, 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and onions and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes, and then add the rice and toast 1 minute.
• Pour in the wine and cook until evaporated, then begin adding the warm saffron liquid a few ladlefuls at a time, stirring frequently to develop the starches. The risotto will take exactly 18 minutes time from first addition of liquids.
• Stir in the cheese and butter and remove from the heat.
• Heat the stock in a small pot along with the mushrooms, and chop once reconstituted (keep the liquid).
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet and cook the onions to a light caramel colour, then transfer to a plate.
• Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, raise the heat slightly and stir in the chicken livers. Sprinkle with the thyme, some salt and pepper and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the sherry and transfer the livers to a plate.
• Pour the EVOO into the centre of the skillet. Once the oil is hot, brown the beef and sausage, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes.
• Return the onions and livers to the skillet along with the tomato paste, mushrooms and mushroom soaking liquid. Simmer over low heat to thicken and combine the flavours, about 3 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Mix together the Mozzarella, peas, basil and tomatoes in a small bowl.
• Grease a baking mold or oven-proof bowl with butter and dust with breadcrumbs. Fill the mold evenly with half of the risotto and top with the meat sauce. Create a small well in the centre, and fill with the Mozzarella, peas and tomatoes. Layer the rest of the risotto on top and smooth the surface. Dot the top with butter and remaining breadcrumbs. Bake 45 minutes.
• Let cool on a rack while in the mold 15 minutes before loosening the edges with an off-set knife. Place a plate on top of the mold, invert, and serve.

SAUSAGE-AND-RICE TIMBALE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rice, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring once or twice, until the rice is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain, shaking the colander to remove any excess water. Spread the rice on a rimmed baking sheet and let cool.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and place a baking sheet on the middle rack. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 6 minutes. Tear the basil and add to the skillet along with the garlic and tomato paste. Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste browns, about 4 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Coat the pan with the breadcrumbs, tapping to remove any excess. Put the eggs and all but 3 tablespoons of the pecorino cheese in a small bowl and beat with a fork. Put the cooled rice in a bowl; add the egg mixture and stir to combine.
• Transfer about two-thirds of the rice mixture to the prepared springform pan. Using moist fingers, pat the rice onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan, forming a 1/2-inch-thick layer. Place the provolone slices over the rice in the pan. Spoon about three-quarters of the sausage filling over the provolone, filling it to 1/2 inch from the top. Pat the remaining rice mixture on top to enclose the filling, then sprinkle with the remaining 3 tablespoons pecorino cheese. Put the pan on the hot baking sheet and bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool, 5 minutes.
• Run a small knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the timbale, then remove the side of the pan. Slide a spatula under the timbale and transfer it to a platter. Thin the remaining sausage filling with a splash of water and reheat. Serve with the timbale.

RISOTTO TIMBALE

Steps:

• For the risotto: Heat the stock with 1 1/2 cups water and the saffron and keep warm. Heat 2 turns of the pan EVOO in a pot and cook the pancetta to render, 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and onions and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes, and then add the rice and toast 1 minute. Pour in the wine and cook until evaporated, then begin adding the warm saffron liquid a few ladlefuls at a time, stirring frequently to develop the starches. The risotto will take exactly 18 minutes time from first addition of liquids. Stir in the cheese and butter and remove from the heat. For the meat and mushroom filling: Heat the stock in a small pot along with the mushrooms, and chop once reconstituted (keep the liquid). Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet and cook the onions to a light caramel color, then transfer to a plate. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, raise the heat slightly and stir in the chicken livers. Sprinkle with the thyme, some salt and pepper and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the sherry and transfer the livers to a plate. Pour the EVOO into the center of the skillet. Once the oil is hot, brown the beef and sausage, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Return the onions and livers to the skillet along with the tomato paste, mushrooms and mushroom soaking liquid. Simmer over low heat to thicken and combine the flavors, about 3 minutes. To assemble: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix together the mozzarella, peas, basil and tomatoes in a small bowl. Grease a baking mold or ovenproof bowl with butter and dust with breadcrumbs. Fill the mold evenly with half of the risotto and top with the meat sauce. Create a small well in the center, and fill with the mozzarella, peas and tomatoes. Layer the rest of the risotto on top and smooth the surface. Dot the top with butter and remaining breadcrumbs. Bake 45 minutes. Let cool on a rack while in the mold 15 minutes before loosening the edges with an offset knife. Place a plate on top of the mold, invert, and serve.