Stuffed Rice Flans

Stuffed rice flans are a versatile and delicious dish that can be customized with various fillings depending on tastes and available ingredients. Here is a basic recipe:

Ingredients

• 200 g Arborio or Carnaroli rice
• 500 ml vegetable or chicken broth
• 50 g butter
• 50 g grated Parmesan
• 2 eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Ingredients for the filling (for example: cooked ham and mozzarella, mushrooms and sausage, spinach and ricotta, etc.)

Preparation

1. Cook the rice in boiling broth until al dente, following the cooking times indicated on the package.
2. Drain and season with a knob of butter and the grated Parmesan. Let cool slightly.
3. Add the beaten eggs to the rice and stir until you obtain a homogeneous mixture. Adjust salt and pepper.
4. Butter and flour individual molds (you can use muffin tins if you don’t have specific flan molds).
5. Fill them with a layer of rice, add the chosen filling in the center, and cover with another layer of rice.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 20 minutes or until golden.
7. Gently unmold the flans and serve hot.

For the filling, you can really let your imagination run wild! For example, if you prefer an Italian-style filling, you could make a Bolognese ragù or an eggplant and tomato filling, which pair beautifully with rice.

Trivia

Rice is highly appreciated in Italy, particularly in the northern regions such as Piedmont, Lombardy and Veneto, where rice-based dishes like risottos and molded preparations have a long culinary tradition. Rice flans are a versatile dish that can be served as an appetizer or main course, and are perfect for using up leftover rice from other preparations.