Chef Bowerman wishes our readers Happy Holidays with this festive treat

To celebrate with all our readers and supporters and wish you Happy Holidays, we asked our Recipes for Change chefs to share some festive recipes to enjoy during the holiday season.

Chef Cristina Bowerman, an ambassador for the Mediterranean-style diet and a Michelin Star award-winning chef, sent us this healthy adaptation of supplì, a traditional dish that dates back to ancient Rome.

Mixed-Grains Supplì

Yield: 30 pieces, each weighing 100 g.

1 portion: 2 pieces.

Ingredients

For the risotto mixture:

• Spelt, 60 g
• Amaranth, 30 g
• Millet, 60 g
• Quinoa, 35 g
• Barley, 60 g
• Vegetable broth, 1.5 L
• White wine, 100 ml
• Olive or sunflower oil
• Onion, 150 g (about 1 whole onion)
• Celery, 75 g (about 1 whole stalk)
• Carrot, 75 g (about 1 medium carrot)
• Seitan or mashed beans (any kind), 60 g
• Cooked jasmine rice, 60 g
• 2 eggs
• Tapioca, 60 g
• Pecorino-style cheese

For the cooking process:

• Mixture of breadcrumbs and crushed nuts (any type), 450 g
• Peanut or sunflower oil (amount will vary)
• 1 egg

Preparation

Begin by making a risotto mixture:

1. Pre-soak the spelt, amaranth, millet, quinoa, and barley, if necessary, according to package directions.
2. In a medium to large saucepan, heat the vegetable stock and white wine. Once they begin to simmer, turn down the heat to very low.
3. In another pan, sauté the vegetables in a bit of olive or sunflower oil.
4. Add all the grains from step 1, plus the seitan or mashed beans and the cooked jasmine rice, to the pan with the vegetables. Stir until evenly mixed, taking care not to let any of the ingredients begin to brown.
5. Add a ladleful of the vegetable stock and wine to the rice mixture and stir until the liquid is evenly mixed through.
6. When the vegetable stock and wine are nearly fully absorbed and the rice begins to look dry, repeat step 5.
7. After about 5–8 minutes, add the tapioca.
8. Once the mixture is lukewarm, add the eggs and mix evenly.
9. Continue the process in steps 5 and 6 for about 45 minutes or until all the grains are fully cooked, taking care to keep both pans on a low simmer.
10. When all grains are cooked and all the liquid is absorbed, remove the mixture from the heat. Add the cheese and stir through for a creamy texture.
11. Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet and allow to cool in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Once the risotto mixture has cooled, form it into the supplì and cook as follows:

1. Preheat the oven to 160º Celsius. Fill a pan with the oil (enough to fully cover the supplì) and heat to 180º Celsius.
2. Make an egg wash by whisking together 1 egg and 15 ml water.
3. Form the risotto mixture into balls, using a scoop (such as a melon baller) to keep the sizes consistent.
4. Dip each piece in the egg wash, then in the breadcrumbs and crushed nuts.
5. Fry each piece in the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to a baking sheet.
6. Bake for 2–3 minutes.

Serve with green salad and enjoy!

Check out Chef Cristina Bowerman’s profile here.

And don’t miss a holiday greeting from our Recipes for Change chefs!

Publication date: 18 December 2020