Baked rice dish with raw ham
( Riso al forno avvolto nel prosciutto )

Recipe for rice timbale with ham

Preparation and cooking

• - Begin with risotto.
  Prepare vegetable stock following the instructions on the cube package.
  Remember to keep your stock boiling while you're cooking risotto.
  Put 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, onion and rice in a saucepan.
  Cook until rice looks milky, stirring frequently, 3 to 4 minutes.
  Pour in wine and simmer until absorbed, stirring now and then.
  At this point add 2 ladlefuls of vegetable stock and simmer until absorbed, stirring.
  Continue adding stock, ladle by ladle, until rice is "al dente" stage.
  Remember that your risotto must be cooked in the oven too!
• - Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
• - Grease a pudding mould with remaining olive oil and lay the slices of raw ham on it allowing them to flow over the edges.
  Spoon risotto in the mold, level its surface and cover with the flowing slices of ham.
  Bake, 15 to 20 minutes.

Just before serving

• - Take away your mold from the oven and let rice timbale rest for some minutes.
  Then turn it out, slice thickly and serve immediately.

Note

Tips

• - Choose a good-quality rice that must not overcook.
• - You can prepare the dish in advance and complete cooking in the oven jus before serving; this is a great thing when you have guests ;))
• - If it's the right season, you can use fresh aromatic herbs: your dish will be excellent!
• - You can prepare vegetable stock by boiling carrot, celery and onion and then filtering the liquid. Or you can use chicken stock, for a stronger flavor.
• - I have sometimes distributed my risotto in single-serving molds. It's better in formal occasions.
• - You could replace Parmesan cheese with two egg yolks if you or your guests do not like cheese or are intolerant to cheese.
• - If you want, you can use cotto ham.

Menu planning

• - This rice timbale is ideal for your family Sunday lunch or your get-togethers with friends or relatives because you can prepare it in advance.
• - Choose it for a formal Italian-style dinner menu too.

Healthy eating

• - If you prepare this rice timbale for your family menu, keep in mind this must be your main dish. To balance your meal you have to prepare vegetables, raw or cooked, for example a seasonal salad.
  Limit its dressing not to exceed in calories and fats. In fact a tablespoon of olive oil has 90 calories and 10 grams of fat.
• - Fiber per serving: 0.2 grams. Practically non-existent. You can easily imagine why.

Loretta

What's the right wine for " Baked rice dish with raw ham "?

The best wine to pair to this rice timbale is Grignolino from Monferrato Casalese (red wine from Piedmont).