Springtime Vegetarian Rice Sartù

Honestly, I was pretty sure I couldn't make it this time, with MTC.

Passover finished only this Tuesday night, so no way to have breadcrumbs and even rice, at home. And to make matters worse, I've been very busy, overwhelmed if you want, in a delicate situation you don't want to know. 

But the truth is that I really didn't want to miss Marina's challenge.  Because of her, and also because I never heard about this dish before in all my life.

So, I wanted really try. I HAD to try. 😊

I've been started to think and writing notes on Sunday night in one of those rare moments of calm that I achieve to have. Thinking first in the main ingredients, to choose the others according to them.

I was sure that the common thread had to be Spring and that my Sartù should not contain any meat. 

a Springtime Vegetarian Sartù, in other words.

I'm sorry, but this time I mad all by eye and by heart and there are lot of ingredients that are not measured, or given very approximatively.

And sorry for the short post.

Anyway, here it goes:

Springtime vegetarian rice Sartù

For a Charlotte mold 18 large, 10 high

for the rice:

400 g Carnaroli rice

stock (scroll down for the recipe)

butter
100 g parmesan cheese
4 eggs

I've cooked the rice like a risotto. First, I toasted the rice with any grease until it turned opaque and "pearl color". Then, I started adding the stock until it was 3/4 cooked. I stirred the butter and the parmesan in.
I did everything as it was suggested in this amazing article.
Once done, I left it cool. Then, added the eggs one by one.

for the non-meat balls

150 g zucchini, finely grated
salt
2-3 tablespoons ricotta
1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon basil, finely chopped

1 bread slice
milk
extra virgin olive oil for frying

Soak the bread in some milk to make it soften.
Put the grated zucchini in a colander, sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Let drain for two hours, then, press them to eliminate all excess of water. Squeeze in your hands, then, put in a dry bowl.
Squeeze also the bread and add it to the zucchini.
Add the ricotta cheese, the yolk and the basil. Mix and form hazelnut sized balls.
Deep fry in hot extra virgin olive oil.

for the filling

2 asparagus bunches, (the spears only)
butter (maybe a tablespoon or two)
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
100 g green peas
some of the vegetable stock, maybe a cup (scroll down for the recipe)
1 handful basil

150 g buffalo mozzarella cheese
salt
white pepper

Melt the butter in a skillet, add the onion and let soften. Add the asparagus spears, salt and a little pepper. Sauté the asparagus, the add the peas and pour some stock on it. Let cook the vegetables uncovered, then add the basil, at the end off cooking. Turn off. Set apart.

For the vegetable stock

Yelds 2 liters

1 white onion, halved
1 carrot, peeled cut into chunks
1 leek, the white part cut into chunks
the asparagus stalks, peeled, trimmed cut into chunks
some peppercorns
3 liters water
The peel of one lemon (NOT grated)

In a big pot, put all ingredients but lemon peel. Bring to boil then turn the heat down and let simmer  uncovered for 1 hour. It will reduce. Turn the flame off and add the lemon peel cut in big stripes. Cover and let infuse for one hour.
Strain and set apart.

for the velouté:

1 liter stock
50 g butter
50 g flour, sifted thrice
salt
white pepper
juice of half lemon

Melt the butter, then add the flour. Mix until you have an homogeneous mix. Cook at low fire until the roux will turn light blond. Let it cool.
Heat the stock until starts to boil. Pour half of the boiling stock on the cooled roux and mix vigorously with a whisk. Pour the rest of the boiling stock bit by bit, do not stop whisking.
Texture must to be smooth with no lumps.
Season with salt and pepper.
Return the pot to the fire and bring to a boil, never stop whisking. Let the sauce reduce and thiken, at very slow fire, about 15-20 minutes. The velouté must reduce to 2/3 of its initial volume.
Turn the flame off and add the lemon juice. Whisk again.
Strain the sauce in the "chinois".

You also will need: butter and breadcrumbs.

Preheat the oven at 180°
Grease the mold with butter and breadcrumbs.
Form one cm of rice on the bottom and one cm on the mould walls. Pour half of the filling, a little velouté, half of the zucchini balls and half of the mozzarella cheese. Make another layer of one cm of rice, pour the rest of the filling, a little sauce, the rest of the zucchini balls and mozzarella. Cover with the rest of the rice. Sprinkle with more breadcrumbs.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the rice will start to separate from the mould walls.
Wait about 15 minutes and remove the sartù from the mould. (praying at the same time)


Serve the sartù with the sauce, both hot.

And Thank you Marina!