TIMBALLO Serves 8 to 12. By Dennis W. Viau; modified from a recipe in Southern Italian Cooking by Jo Bettoja. Timballo is an excellent way to turn leftovers into something fancy. Timballo is layered in a mold, such as a springform pan or ring mold. This recipe uses rice and eggplant for a side dish. With the addition of chicken, lamb, or fish it can be served as a main course. You can substitute zucchini, tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, or other vegetables for the eggplant. Potatoes or pasta can be used instead of rice. I use pasta sauce, but béchamel could be substituted. Timballo is fancy enough to bring to a special gathering or potluck; who needs to know you re giving them your leftovers? Ingredients: 1 eggplant, about 1¾ to 2 pounds (800g to 900g) 1 to 2 tablespoons butter 1 small onion; finely chopped 2 cups Arborio rice (400g) 2 bouillon cubes (chicken or beef) or 1 tablespoon granulated bouillon 1 quart (1 liter) water Olive oil for frying ½ cup (105g) freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese 2 tablespoons fine bread crumbs 4 ounces (110g) mozzarella cheese; cut into small cubes or shredded Freshly ground pepper to taste 6 to 8 basil leaves, cut in chiffonade for garnish Marinara sauce; heated for garnish when serving Directions: Peel the eggplant or not peel it it s up to you. Slice the eggplant across its width into ¼- or 3/8-inch (6mm-8mm) slices. Sprinkle generously with salt and place in a large bowl or colander. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 1 hour. Heat a skillet with the butter and add the chopped onion. Sauté over medium heat until translucent and tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. While the onion is cooking, heat the water in a saucepan until boiling and dissolve the bouillon in it to make a broth. Add the rice to the skillet and add the boiling broth. Stir and cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer 16 minutes. After the cooking time, set aside to cool. Rinse the sliced eggplant well and allow to drain. In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Pat eggplant with paper towels to remove excess water. Sauté until tender and lightly browned on both sides. Add more olive oil to the skillet as necessary, as the eggplant will absorb some oil. Place the cooked eggplant on paper towels to drain. Before assembling the timballo, check the rice for excess moisture (I never find any) and drain if necessary. Add the grated Parmesan (or Romano) cheese and stir lightly to blend. Using a 10-inch (25cm) ring mold or 9-inch (23cm) springform pan, grease the pan with butter and dust with the bread crumbs. Spoon about 1/3 of the rice into the mold, pressing down to level the top. Layer about half the eggplant on the rice. Sprinkle about half the mozzarella and grate some pepper on top. Add another layer of rice, followed by eggplant, cheese, and pepper. Finish with the last of the rice. 1 20110506
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375 F (190 C). Bake the timballo 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest 10 minutes. Heat the marinara and place in a serving bowl. Invert the timballo from the springform pan or mold onto a serving platter. (It can be browned lightly under the broiler if desired.) Garnish with basil chiffonade. Cut at the table and serve garnished with a topping of warm marinara. This side dish would go well with my Pesto Lamb or Tuscan Meatloaf. 2 1 STEP-BY-STEP Assemble your ingredients. I am using homemade marinara sauce, but you can use jarred spaghetti sauce for convenience or if you prefer the flavor. 2 Slice the eggplant (I don t peel mine, but some cooks prefer it peeled) and sprinkle well with salt. Place in a bowl or colander and allow to sit for an hour. The salt draws off moisture (it will collect in the bottom of the bowl) and this can help to remove the bitterness found in some eggplant.
3 3 Saute the chopped onions in butter until tender and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. You can cook the onions until they begin to caramelize, about 20 minutes, for a different flavor. Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a saucepan and add the bouillon. Stir to dissolve and reduce the heat to low. 4 Add the rice and stir.
5 4 Pour the hot bouillon liquid into the skillet, give it a stir, and cover. Reduce heat to low and cook 16 minutes. Then remove from the heat and set aside to cool. 6 Rinse the salted eggplant slices really well in cold water to remove the salt. Place on layers of paper towel and pat dry.
7 5 Heat the olive oil in a second skillet (or move the rice to a bowl) and sauté the slices of eggplant until tender and lightly browned on both sides. 8 Place the sautéed eggplant on paper towels to drain and cool.
9 6 After the rice has cooled somewhat (it doesn t need to be room temperature or completely cold), add the grated cheese and mix well. You are now ready to begin assembling your timballo. 10 Coat the sides of a mold or springform pan with butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs until evenly coated.
11 7 Spoon a third of the cooked rice mixture into the mold and press it down to flatten the top surface. Try not to scrape any of the bread crumbs off the sides of the pan as you press down the rice. 12 Now arrange a layer of sautéed eggplant over the rice and top with some fresh ground black pepper half of the shredded or chopped mozzarella cheese.
13 8 Add another layer of rice, the remaining egg plant and mozzarella. Season again with fresh ground black pepper and then top with the remaining rice. Again, even out the top of the rice. This layer doesn t need to look fantastic because this will be the bottom of your timballo 14 Bake at 375 F (190 C) for 45 minutes. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes, and then invert onto a serving plate. Loosen the ring of the springform pan and remove. If the top isn t browned, it can be browned lightly under the broiler.
15 9 I browned this timballo under the broiler for a better appearance. 16 Roll up the basil leaves the make a little green cigar and with a very sharp knife cut fine lacy strings. This is chiffonade. Garnish the top with the chiffonade (see Note at end). Meanwhile, heat some marinara sauce in a small saucepan. This timballo is ready to serve.
17 10 Slice the timballo, much like you would a cake, place on a plate, and garnish with a topping of hot marinara sauce. Extra cheese is not necessary, as there is already cheese in the timballo. Note: Cutting basil into julienne or chiffonade is a basic technique you ll use again and again in your kitchen. I think of julienne as little strings and chiffonade as little threads. Stack the basil leaves and roll lengthwise to make a little cigar. Using a very sharp knife, cut through the basil making very fine threads. The picture above is julienne, about c-inch wide cuts. For a chiffonade you can cut them much thinner. Use not only as a garnish on many dishes, you can also use in salads and soups.