1 day ago
6
A few weeks ago, when the weather turned boiling and the tarmac became soft, I made a bad rice salad. The principal reason for this was the overcooked rice, which was my fault for three reasons: I was using a brand I have never used before and didn’t read the packet; I forgot to set the kitchen timer; and I ignored my instinct to tip it out (dog? Cake? Compost? Bin?) and start again. To my overcooked rice I added not-tasty tomatoes, tough minced parsley, extra-virgin olive oil, a bit too much vinegar, olives, capers and hard-boiled eggs; I also added an expensive tin of tuna, which did a brilliant job of making the whole thing taste better, although still not good. Everyone agreed that it was a depressing dinner, then we went out for ice-cream.
The good thing about making a bad rice salad is the need to redeem and reassure myself that I am capable of making not only a good one, but a great one, though I do appreciate that today’s first paragraph might make you doubt this. A good rice salad begins with well-cooked long-grain rice and involves a good balance of four vegetable elements: raw (tomatoes, red pepper, cucumber, celery, say), cooked (beans, courgettes, peas, sweetcorn), vegetables preserved in oil (peppers, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, aubergine), and pickled or salted vegetables (dill pickles, olives, capers, caper berries). There should also be some form of protein, whether that’s tuna, cheese, tofu, salami or wurstel; possibly involve (tender) herbs; be dressed with oil and a little vinegar; and always be finished with egg (slices, wedges or chopped – you decide).
Just as important as the balance of ingredients is the balance of temperatures. Many people like their rice salad fridge-cold – in fact, another name for insalata di riso in Italy is riso freddo (cold rice). I prefer the rice, cooked vegetables and tomatoes to be at room temperature, and the raw and picked vegetable elements to be fridge-cold. Celery and dill pickles are particularly good chilled additions when added just before serving, then the room-temperature hard-boiled eggs can be arranged on top. A note about the herbs: I think the clean, slightly black pepper taste of parsley is great here (although taste if it has been sitting in the fridge for a while), along with a few aniseed fronds of dill, plus fresh marjoram, with its gentle pine taste and sweetness.
My mother-in-law believes that a transparent bowl (plastic or glass) plays a key role in the flavour of rice salad, and I think I agree. Of course, the most important advice for rice salad is to make it in exactly the way you like it, and serve it at a temperature you like, and to ensure that there is plenty of ice-cream (cold but at scooping temperature) for afters.
Rice salad with red peppers, celery, herbs and egg
Serves 4
Salt and black pepper
300g long-grain rice
Extra-virgin olive oil
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Red-wine or sherry vinegar (optional)
1 very big handful minced herbs (parsley, marjoram, chives, mint, dill)
1 350g jar preserved red peppers, drained and chopped into bits
300g cooked green beans, chopped into short lengths
145g (1 tin) tuna in olive oil (optional)
2 celery sticks, strings pulled away and discarded, flesh finely diced
A few dill pickles, diced
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and each cut into 8 wedges or finely chopped
Bring a large pan of water to a boil and season with salt. Add the rice, cook for 10 minutes, then drain into a sieve, shake well and leave to cool for 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix six tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt, a few grinds of black pepper, the lemon zest, a dash of vinegar and the minced herbs.
Add the rice, toss gently so that all the grains are coated, then add the peppers, beans, tuna, if using, and mix again to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning. The salad can now sit until you are ready to eat, in or out of the fridge – you decide.
Just before serving, add the celery and dill pickles, toss again, and top with the hard-boiled egg. Zigzag with little more olive oil and serve.
