Southern Rice Ring Recipes

SOUTHERN RICE RING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F and butter a ring mold.
• Cook rice in boiling salted water until tender, about 20 minutes; drain.
• Saute onions in butter; add mushrooms and cook about ten minutes.
• Mix vegetables with rice and season to taste.
• Pack mixture into buttered ring mold and bake for 30 minutes.
• Turn out onto serving platter and serve as is or filled with whatever else you want.

RING OF WILD RICE WITH A MUSHROOM SAUCE

Steps:

• Rice -- Cook the rice according to package directions.
• Base -- Melt the butter over medium heat and add in the flour and stir until well combined. Slowly mix the hot water with the bouillon until well combined and then add to the butter and flour mixture. Add in the rice and turn off the heat and stir well and let it cook for about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
• Ring -- I like to use a 6-7" ring or mold. Spray well with a non-stick spray. Press the rice mixture into the mold and press it down good - You would the mixture well packed. I like to make this the day before and then I just have to bake it. Make sure to cover well with saran or plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator if you are not immediately cooking it.
• Bake -- Oven to 350, middle shelf. And here's the trick - fill a 13x9 pan with hot water and put on the bottom shelf, then the rice mold on the middle shelf. This will cause steam and therefore the rice doesn't burn. About 40-50 minutes un-covered. Remove from the oven and cover with foil to let it rest as you make the mushroom sauce.
• Sauce -- In a small sauce pan, add the butter and melt on medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for 3-4 for minutes until they are tender. Then whisk in the flour and cook just a minute to get rid of the flour taste. Add the chicken bouillon and milk and bring to medium heat until the sauce thickens. Season with the rosemary, salt and pepper.
• Serve -- Put the serving tray on top of the rice ring and then flip over. The rice mold should pop right out. I like to drizzle a little of the mushroom sauce over the rice, maybe a few rosemary sprigs in the middle and then a small dish of the mushroom sauce on the side for people to help themselves. The rice mold will cut nicely into wedges. You can serve a little of the sauce over each wedge.
• ENJOY a unique side dish!
• Cooking and prep time is a mix of cooking the rice and then baking.

RICE RING

Steps:

• Butter a 1 ½ quart ring mold generously.
• Pack firmly with hot rice and cover tightly with foil (rice may be prepared 1 hour ahead to this point and kept warm in a 250F oven).
• Invert onto a heated platter.

MY CREAMED CHICKEN IN RICE RING

Steps:

• NOTE: MAKE RICE WHILE CHICKEN COOKS OR MAKE CREAMED CHICKEN WHILE RICE COOKS.
• Put breasts in deep pot with carrots and celery.
• Cover with COLD water.
• Add salt and pepper.
• Bring all to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.
• Cover and simmer for at least an hour. Until meat appears to be falling off bones.
• Remove chicken and cool.
• When cool enough to handle, remove bones and skin and discard.
• Cut chicken into bite-size pieces, not too small.
• Remove 2 cups of broth from pot.
• Melt butter in pan and whisk in flour until smooth.
• Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup broth, whisking to keep it smooth.
• Add another 1/2 cup and whisk again. Try to keep it from lumping.
• Return to heat and add last cup of broth. Keep heat low-medium and keep whisking until sauce thickens.
• Should be like very heavy cream or slightly thicker, not runny.
• Add chicken pieces, keep warm until rice is done.
• I usually add canned lima beans to the sauce, but this is optional. You could also add some celery and/or carrots from the pot.
• RICE RING.
• You can make the rice as you usually do to get 4 cups cooked rice OR use my method.
• Put rice and cold water in pot. Add salt.
• Bring water to a boil and stir rice ONCE with wooden spoon.
• Cover tightly and simmer for 18 minutes.
• When done, remove from heat and fluff rice with a fork.
• Add butter and stir gently until all melted and blended inches.
• Pack rice into buttered ring mold and tamp down so it is packed, not loose.
• Put serving plate over top of mold and flip over.
• Tap gently to loosen rice ring.
• Fill center of ring with creamed chicken, decorate as desired and serve.
• NOTE: Putting veggies in creamed chicken is an option. You could serve them as a side dish.
• Use the rest of the broth with carrots and celery for soup or another recipe.