Rice a la Lombardy Baked*

Categories:	16th century   Italian   rice
Original Source:	Scappi, Opera
Secondary Source:	Clara Beaumont translation
Cook:	Clara Beaumont
Meeting Date:	2011-05-15

To make a Food of Rice a la Lombardy Baked.
Take rice cleaned in the abovewritten manner, & cook it in broth in which have been cooked, capons, geese & sausage, & cooked which it will be of the manner which it would be tough, take one part of this rice, & put it in a big dish of earth, or silver, or pewter, & dust it with w/ cheese, sugar, & cinnamon, & put over this rice some little bits of fresh butter, & chicken breast meat, & geese & sausage cut in pieces, & dust it w/ cheese, sugar, & cinnamon. In this manner make 3 layers, & the fianl one with be bathes w/ fresh melted butter, & dusted w/ the same composition, & put it in the oven which would not be too hot, & let it go to stand for half an hour until it takes a little color, & sprinkle it w/ rose water, & serve hot. It is possible to accommodate this rice in another manner that is, cooked which it shall be grease the dish w/ butter & put there slices of fresh cheese not salted, dusted w/ sugar & cinnamon & grated cheese, & over these put the rice, & over the rice put raw fresh egg yolks according to the quantity of rice, having therefore made hollows in the rice where the yolks are put, & over these yolks put more slices of cheese dusted w/ sugar, cheese, & cinnamon, & then cover it w/ more rice. In this manner can be made 3 & 3 layers, & in the final put a little butter over, & make it to stand on the hot cinders, or in the oven as above, & serve hot.

Steps

1. Cook rice in chicken broth until slightly al dente.
2. Version 1: Cut chicken & sausage in small pieces. Press a layer of rice into casserole dish. Dot w/ sm. amt. butter, sprinkle w/ sugar, cinnamon & parmesan. Cover w/ a layer of chicken & sausage, then more sugar, cinnamon & parmesan. Repeat layers, end w/ a layer of rice. Brush w/ melted butter, sprnkle again.
3. Version 2: Grease a casserole dish well, then cover the bottom w/ fresh slices mozzarella. Sprinkle w/ sugar, cinnamon & parmesan. Press a layer of rice over the cheese. Make 2 small hollows in the rice, & nestle an egg yolk in each hollow. Top w/ more mozzarella, dust w/ sugar, cinnamon & parmesan, & another layer of rice. Dot w/ butter.
4. Bake @ 350 for 20 mins. (small dishes).

Note

Amounts are for very small (tasting) casseroles.
Did not use rose water.
Could scale up easily - bake in in deep-dish pie pans, 1 per table for a feast.