Rice with mincemeat and pomegranate in a mould
Ingridients
- 100ml pomegranate juice
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- 400g minced veal, chuck or rump
- 2 cups pilau rice
- 50ml olive oil
- 1 dried onion, finely diced
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes with their juice, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- 1 cup sweet gruyere, grated, or pecorino or other hard cheese of your choice
- 1 cup cream cheese, whisked briefly until fluffy
- 1 cup of mixed fresh herbs such as parsley, dill, mint, fennel, myrtle, etc., finely chopped
- salt, pepper
Directions
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion for 1-2 minutes, until it softens a little. Add the minced meat, increase the heat and sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the minced meat is broken into pieces and has a golden brown colour.
Deglaze with pomegranate juice, mix and add the tomatoes with their juice and the grated carrot. As soon as the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until most of the liquid evaporates.
Add the rice, 400-450ml boiling water, salt and pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the rice is done and has absorbed almost all of the liquid. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes. Add the gruyere or another cheese of your choice, the cream cheese, the pomegranate seeds and the chopped herbs and stir well. Pour the mincemeat into a medium-sized cake mould with a hole in the middle and let it cool completely. Invert the mould onto a platter and serve.
