Featured in: Eating the Arab Roots of Sicilian Cuisine
serves 6 to 8
2 hours, 15 minutes
Ingredients
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1⁄4 cup plain bread crumbs
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
1⁄4 tsp. saffron threads, crushed
2 cups arborio rice
3 cups chicken stock
1⁄2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 large eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 oz. thinly shaved cooked ham
6 oz. thinly sliced fresh mozzarella
Instructions
1-Heat the oven to 375°. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with the butter, applying a thick layer on the bottom, and dust it with the bread crumbs, letting the loose bread crumbs settle on the bottom. In a large saucepan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the saffron, then stir in the rice and cook until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover the pan, remove it from the heat, and let stand for 20 minutes. Uncover the pan and scrape the rice into a large bowl. Let the rice cool for 10 minutes, stirring it a few times to allow it to cool evenly, then stir in the Parmigiano and eggs and season the rice with salt and pepper.
2-Spread half of the rice over the bottom of the prepared baking pan,
pressing it lightly into an even layer. Arrange the ham over the rice in
an even layer, followed by the mozzarella. Spread the remaining rice
over the cheese, pressing it lightly into an even layer and smoothing
the top, and bake until golden brown at the edges, about 50 minutes.
Transfer the baking pan to a rack, let cool for 10 minutes, then invert
the rice cake onto a serving plate. Cut the rice cake into wedges and
serve warm.