Mushroom-dusted chicken-rice timbales with pinot sauce

Summary

Yield4
Source

"The New Whole Grains Cookbook ," by Robin Asbell (Chronicle Books, $19.95)

Prep Time5 minutes
courseside dish
ethnicityamerican

Description

This recipe cam about as an exercise in making food wine-friendly

Ingredients

  • sauce
  • 2c water
  • 2oz dried mushrooms, any variety
  • 2c pinot noir
  • timbales
  • 2c chicken stock
  • 1c short-grain brown rice
  • 1⁄2c chopped carrot
  • 3⁄4t salt, divided
  • 1⁄4oz dreid porcini mushrooms
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  • 8oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped to bite size pieces
  • 1T olive oil
  • 2T roasted pumpkin seed oil or dark sesame oil
  • 2T minced shallot
  • 1⁄2t sugar
  • 1t cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water, or more if needed
  • 1⁄4c finely chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Make the sauce
Ina 1-quart saucepan, bring the water, mushrooms, and wine to a boil. Reduce to about 1 cup by boiling over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Strain the reduction through a coffee filter, squeezing out the mushrooms, and reserve the liquid.
Make the timbales.
Oil four 1-cup ramekins for molding the timbales, or oil a metal 1-cup measure. In a heavy, 1-quart saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a simmer, and add the rice, carrot, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes. When all the liquid is absorbed, let the rice stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
Grind the porcini in a coffee or spice mill until they are a fine powder. Spread the mushroom powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cracked black pepper to taste on a plate, and roll the chicken pieces in it to coat. Heat a large saute pan over high heat, then add olive oil. Sear the chicken, turn the heat down to medium, and stir to cook completely. Take the chicken off the heat, remove to a plate, and divide the mixture into 4 piles.
To the same pan, add the mushrooms-wine reduction from the first step, the pumpkin seed oil, shallot, and sugar, and bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes, until reduced to 3/4 cup. Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture, a little at a time, until the desired drizzling consistency is reached. You may need to mix another teaspoon of cornstarch withwater and add it, if your sauce did not reduce very much. Take the pan off the heat and keep warm.
In each ramekin, or in the measuring cup, pack a single layer of chickem, then mix any remaining chicken with the rice mixture. If using one measuring cup for all 4 timbales, reserve enough chicken for the remaining 3, then mix the rest into the rice.
Divide the rice mixture among the ramekins. Press it in firmly with the back of a spoon. Hold a serving plate over the top of a ramekin, then flip it to unmold the rice timbale onto the plate. Form all 4 timbales, the drizzle the sauce onto the plates. Garnish with parsley and serve. (The timbales can be assembled in the ramekins, then covered and refrigerated. Reheat by baking for 25 to 30 minutes at 375 degrees.)