Martha Stewart
Living TV show
Ingredients
- 8 thin slices white bread or 1 – 1 1/4 cups Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1 cup wild rice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 4 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium carrot(about 1/3 cup), peeled, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1 small celery stalk(about 1/3 cup), peeled, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1/2 medium yellow pepper(about 1/3 cup), seeded, deveined, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten (maybe 3)
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Heat oven to 250° Using a serrated knife, remove crusts from bread. Place trimmed bread on a baking sheet. Transfer to oven, and cook until dry, about 15 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool. In a food processor, chop bread very finely (you need about 1 1/4 cups), and set aside.
Rinse rice under cold running water until water runs clear. In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil over high heat. Stir in wild rice, and lower heat to medium low. Cook rice, stirring often, until water has evaporated and rice has popped, about 55 minutes. Drain rice through a colander. Set aside to cool.
Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic, and stir until fragrant. Add carrot, celery, and yellow pepper, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, combine cooked wild rice, vegetables, and eggs. Gently fold in breadcrumbs. Season with salt and pepper. Cover, and refrigerate until the breadcrumbs have absorbed the liquids, about 1 hour.
Using a 2-ounce ice-cream scoop, firmly pack rice mixture into scoop. Place ball of rice mixture on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat (French nonstick baking mat or parchment paper). Gently press down with your damp palm to flatten rice into a cake. Repeat with remaining rice mixture to form eight cakes.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons canola oil in a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Using a wide spatula, carefully transfer four rice cakes into pan. Sauté until lightly browned and set on the edges, about 5 minutes. Gently turn rice cakes, and sauté for 5 more minutes. Repeat with remaining rice cakes. Serve immediately.
Notes
I needed an extra egg the last time I made these and cut the panko down to a single cup. They’re still delicate, let them thoroughly brown before turning.