Dutch Rice Table

If you want to serve something completely new, try this. It might be totally unknown to you but trust me, it's absolutely delicious!
The Dutch Rice Table is adapted from the Indonesian Rice Table but with Dutch ingredients. You serve meat and rice on a plate along with several side dishes (marrowfat peas, fried unions, fresh union, fried bacon, piccalilii, mustard, pearl onions and mini gherkins) in small bowls.
For a Rice Table (Dutch or Indonesian) you should take your time to enjoy. Try different combination of all dishes. Along with an Alsace wine (pinot gris) it's really a captains dinner!

[serves two persons (you don't need a starter!)]
• 2 pork cutlets
• 1,5 cups rice (pandan rice preferably)
• 5 oz (140 g) bacon chopped into 1/2 inch cube
• 9 oz (250 g) canned marrowfat peas (or brown beans as substitute)
• 2 onions
• 3 tablesp olive oil
• 2 tablesp soy sauce
• 3 tablesp piccalilli
• pearl onions
• mini gherkins
• mustard
• salt and pepper

1. Rub in pork cutlets for dry frying (see: Dry Frying - January 5th) with 1 tablesp olive oil, soy sauce, curry seasoning and pepper. Leave it for half an hour.
2. Cook rice. Meanwhile cut one onion finely and fry in rest of olive oil until soft and brown. Keep warm.
3. Fry bacon well done (you don't need butter) and keep warm.
4. Cook marrowfat peas until done. Meanwhile dry fry 'marinated' pork cutlets.
5. Putt rice and meat on plate. Arrange all side dishes in different bowls and small plates.

Try to find marrowfat peas (in the UK they use it to make pease porridge). Brown beans are actually to mealy. You can add some more side dishes like cut celery and little meat balls. Be generous with piccalilli.
In the Dutch Navy the 'Hollandse Rijsttafel' is very famous.

Tomato risotto

Actually it's called Pilafi. It's the best Greek risotto I know. Tastes lovely with Tzatziki! (it always reminds me of the wonderful island Santorini...)

[serves four persons (or two big portions as main dish)]
• 3 tablesp olive oil
• 1 onion choppen finely
• 14 oz (400 g) canned chopped tomatoes in juice
• 1 garlic clove chopped finely
• 1 cup risotto rice
• 2 and half cups chicken stock
• 1 teasp sugar
• 1 teasp chopped mint
• salt and pepper
• lemon wedges

1. Heat oil in large saucepan (you need a lid to cover later). Fry union and garlic for 6 minutes until softened. Add rice and cook for 2 more minutes until rice looks transparent. Don' forget to stir.
2. Add tomatoes with their juice, chicken stock, sugar and mint. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then lower heat. Cover the saucepan and simmer for about 20 minutes until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed. No stirring.
3. Remove lid. Leave in warm place for 10 minutes to dry out. You can cover pan with towel to absorb steam.
Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over.

The lid should fit tightly. Make sure to simmer on a low fire! Serve with Tzatziki and a medium sweet red (Greek) wine.