Sartù di Riso

La storia di questo piatto

Born in the gilded kitchens of Bourbon Naples, the Sartù carries the memory of French monsieurs and Neapolitan grandeur — a crown of rice that once graced noble tables, where opulence was the only language spoken. It is Campania condensed into a single, majestic form: volcanic soil, sea wind, and centuries of pride pressed together beneath a burnished, amber dome.

Ingredienti

• 400 g Carnaroli Rice
• 500 g Mixed Ground Meat
• 300 g Tomato Pulp
• 200 g Fresh Peas
• 4 piece Hard-boiled Eggs
• 200 g Buffalo Mozzarella
• 150 g Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1 l Beef Broth
• 1 piece White Onion
• 1 piece Carrot
• 1 stalk Celery
• 150 ml Dry Red Wine
• 100 g Breadcrumbs
• 80 g Butter
• 60 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• q.b. unit Salt and Pepper

Preparazione

1. Prepare the ragù: cut the onion, carrot, and celery into small pieces. Pour a bit of oil into a large pot and place it over medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, until they become soft and fragrant. Add the ground meat and cook while stirring with a wooden spoon, breaking up any clumps, until the meat turns dark brown (you'll notice an intense aroma). Pour the red wine into the hot pot and stir well, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom with your spoon (that's where the flavor lives). Add the tomatoes (canned or passata), salt, and pepper. Lower the heat to the minimum, cover partially, and let it cook slowly. Stir from time to time. You'll know it's ready when the ragù is dark, rich, and small pearls of fat float on the surface.
2. Pour water into a pot, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a rolling boil (you'll see the bubbles jumping vigorously). Lower the eggs with a spoon and start timing: 8-10 minutes depending on how hard you want them (8 minutes for a yolk that's still slightly soft, 10 for completely hard). When the time is up, fish the eggs out with a slotted spoon and place them in a bowl with cold water. Wait for them to cool completely (at least 5 minutes). Then gently tap and crack the shell on the counter and peel it under cold running water: it comes away much more easily.
3. Bring the broth to a boil in a pot. Pour in the rice and stir. When it returns to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low so the liquid simmers gently. Stir frequently (every 2-3 minutes) and add warm broth little by little as the rice begins to dry out. After about 18 minutes, taste a grain: it should be soft on the outside but still have a slight firm center (al dente). When the rice is nearly done, the mixture should look creamy, almost like a thick soup. If it's too dry, add a splash of hot broth.
4. Turn off the heat. Add the butter and grated Parmesan to the hot rice. Stir vigorously and quickly with a wooden spoon for about 1-2 minutes. The risotto should become shiny, creamy, and flow gently across the plate when you move it (Italians say it should 'wave'). If it's too thick, add a splash of hot broth.
5. Take a mold (it can be a bowl, a cake pan, even a clean pot). Pour the breadcrumbs into a small bowl and dampen them lightly with melted butter (it should be moist, not soaked). Sprinkle this damp breadcrumb mixture on the bottom of the mold, pressing gently with your fingers so it sticks well.
6. Pour half the rice into the mold. With the back of a wet spoon, spread the rice evenly across the bottom, letting it come up slightly on the sides of the mold as well. It should be a compact and smooth layer, like the base of a cake.
7. Distribute the ragù over this first layer of rice. Scatter the peas here and there. Add pieces of torn mozzarella. Cut the hard-boiled eggs into quarters and arrange them on top. You can alternate the ingredients for a visually pleasing effect: some ragù, then peas, then mozzarella, then a piece of egg, and so on.
8. Pour the remaining rice over all the filling, leveling it with a wet spoon. It must cover everything completely. Press gently to compact the timbale. Sprinkle the surface with the remaining breadcrumbs and a bit of grated Parmesan.
9. Preheat the oven to 180°C. When it's hot, put the timbale in the oven (the breadcrumbs on the surface should be facing up). Bake for 25-30 minutes. You'll know it's ready when the surface is golden and crispy to the touch, and you can feel that the timbale is hot inside (if you carefully touch the sides of the mold with a protected hand, they should be very hot).
10. Remove the timbale from the oven with oven mitts. Let it rest in the mold for 10 minutes: this time helps the timbale stay compact when you turn it out. After 10 minutes, run a knife along the inside edges of the mold to loosen the timbale. Place a serving plate over the mold, hold it steady, and flip it gently: the timbale should slide out slowly. If it sticks, return it to the oven for 2-3 minutes to soften the outer layers.