The Genoese rice salad cake is one of the historical recipes of the cuisine of Genoa and Liguria: an economic recipe of rice-based recovery, to serve as a single dish, as an appetizer or to accompany an aperitif.
The ancient “sciamadde“, typical gastronomy shops in Genoa specialized in salad cakes, farinata, focaccia with cheese, sell this delicious rice cake; you can also buy it in one of the Genoese rotisseries.
There are many versions of rice salad cake: it can be prepared with or without dough sheet; very common, especially in western Liguria, is also the variant with chard. You can enjoy both warm and cold, making it a great option for a packed lunch.
Genoese rice salad cake: recipe
Filling
- 0,6 lb rice
- 28 uk fl oz milk
- grated parmesan
- 0,33 lb “prescinseua” (alternatively 0,22 lb ricotta and 0,11 lb sour cream or white yogurt)
- virgen extra oil
- salt
- pepper
Pastry
- 0,55 lb flour
- 0,08 lb virgen extra oil
- salt
- 35 uk fl oz water
- 1 teaspoon of white wine
If you want to prepare the rice cake with the dough, start by kneading the crazy dough: in a bowl put the flour, make a hole in the center and pour in water, oil, wine and salt. Knead from the center, gradually absorbing all the flour. Work well until you get a smooth and elastic dough. Let it rest at least 30 minutes wrapped in plastic wrap.
Prepare the filling: put the milk, possibly fresh and whole, in a pan and bring to a boil. Salt, lower the heat and pour the rice: cook until it is “al dente“. The rice should be rather liquid, the oven will tend to dry.
Add the prescinseua (ricotta and sour cream/yogurt) to the rice, the parmesan, the pepper. If you want to prepare the version of rice cake with beets, wash 350 gr, dry them, cut them into strips and put to fry in a pan with onion. Once ready, they will be added to the rice filling.
If you use the dough, roll it thin, put it in the pan leaving some excess edge. Fill with the filling and then fold the excess part inside the cake, creating a thin but wide edge. Pour a little oil on the surface of the cake, helping you with a brush if necessary.
Bake in a hot oven at 200 degrees for about 30 minutes, until the surface is golden.
