Dried fruit rice

Method

1. Over a low heat warm up 3 tbsp. of olive oil in a baking tray. 
2. Add the unpeeled garlic and allow it to brown for a few minutes. 
3. Add the rice, let it toast and finally, after removing the garlic, add the boiling broth, all at once. 
4. Cover the baking tray and oven cook at 180°C for about 20 minutes: the rice has to absorb the broth completely. 
5. While the rice is cooking, fry the fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced, in a pan until you end up with brown and crispy filaments. 
6. Just before the rice is ready, quickly toast the dried fruit mix in another pan with a spoonful of olive oil. 
7. Serve the rice straight into bowls, topping it with the fruit, the fried ginger and, if you wish, a few drops of balsamic vinegar.

Chef's tip

If you want to give this dish a summery twist, try adding some grated lemon zest and a few drops of lemon juice to the rice, shortly before you serve.  

Serving suggestion

To balance out the intense flavours of this dish, we suggest you to serve it with a leafy green salad.

Wine selection

Rosato Salento IGT

Family tip

If you don't like the sweetness of raisins that much, try replacing them with cranberries or leaving them out completely.

Dish history

Ok, ok, we admit it: this does not look or sound like a typical traditional Italian dish. But! We can assure you that the quality of the ingredients and the creativity of the chef are 100% green, white and red! This is a quite unusual dish, somehow inspired by the Southeast Asian cuisine, where combining of savoury and sweet is commonplace, the use of nuts widespread and the basmati rice is a native staple food. Embark on an exotic trip while savouring this delicious, unique recipe right at your table!