leftover rice
Apologies for the quiet. My computer decided to stop working properly, and the people I hired to repair it made it worse. My photos are safe, but I can’t upload all of them right now. So we’ll limp through together, okay?
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Every rice-eating culture in the world has devised methods for coping with leftover rice. Think congee, fried rice, suppli al telefono.
A skylight at my hairdresser’s.
All to say my offering–rice cakes–is hardly novel. But it is both tasty and useful, as rice eaters tend to have leftover rice in their fridges, and leftover rice needs using up.
Vary your rice cakes to suit the contents of your fridge, your taste, and your meal: I’ve made cakes with cilantro and chopped mushrooms, a handful of minced herbs and scallions, and most recently, an especially delicious batch containing parsley, garlic, and Hatay Chile Cheese,from the wonderful Istanbul And Beyond.
Fractal broccoli
Smaller rice cakes make an elegant appetizer or side dish, while larger cakes make a nice meal. A dipping sauce made from Kewpie Mayonnaise is very, very nice here. I recently learned this product contains MSG. I am none the worse for it, but felt I should share, given people’s paranoia concerning this ingredient. (Kewpie is not paying me or sending crates of their mayo.)
A costume displayed at the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House
Not sold yet? Depending on what you wish to add, or leave out, rice cakes are gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, kosher, and child-friendly. Further, rice is a friend to the digestively unhappy.
What more could you ask?
Well, a great deal. But let’s stick to rice cakes.
Rice cakes
yield: depends on how much rice is left over
Cooking time: starting with cold cooked rice, about 45 minutes
Please read notes, below, before beginning to cook
Base ingredients:
leftover cooked rice
1-2 eggs, depending on the amount of rice; enough to bind it
Panko or matzo meal, again, just enough to bind the rice
salt and pepper; taste for seasoning
A little water or white wine, if needed
Depending on the flavor profile of your rice cakes, consider adding 1/8-1 teaspoon of some of the following seasonings (not all of them); tasting as you go:
sweet or spicy paprika
ground cumin
ground coriander
dried hot pepper
sumac
fennel seed
your favorite dried spices
Fresh seasonings:
minced scallion
minced fresh garlic
fresh lemon juice
parmesan cheese
mozzarella cheese, cubed
Olive, grapeseed, peanut, or canola oil, for the pan
Instructions
You will need a large bowl to mix the rice cakes, a large plate or baking sheet to lay them out, a large, heavy frying pan, and a serving platter lined with paper towels. A splatter screen is useful here.
* denotes places where you can take a break
As it’s impossible for me to know what you’re putting into your rice, I’ll describe what I did with mine last week. I had about one cup of leftover rice.
I began by dumping the rice into a large bowl.
I cracked one egg into a small bowl, whisked it with a fork, then added it to the rice, blending with a large spoon. I then added 1/4 cup/35 grams of panko, mixing with my clean hands. This was enough to bind the rice.
I added two teaspoons of salt and about four grinds of the pepper shaker.
At this juncture you could refrigerate the bowl (if necessary) and take a break.
*
For seasonings, I added a handful of minced fresh parsley, Vietnamese coriander, and cilantro.
I then added two minced garlic cloves, one thinly sliced scallion, some hot chile pepper, Hatay chile cheese (see discussion above, in post), fresh lemon juice, and sweet paprika. I kept tasting as I went along, aiming for a brightly spicy rice.
*
I placed a bowl of water and a baking sheet beside the rice bowl. Wetting my hands, I formed the rice into puck shapes. You can cover and refrigerate the tray up to 24 hours at this point, or proceed to cooking.
*
I placed my cast iron pan over medium-high heat and added olive oil. Be careful of spatters.
Getting a nice browned crust takes 4-5 minutes a side; rush this and the rice cakes may fall apart.(They will still taste good. Just call it fried rice. Or hash.) A splatter screen helps here, as does an open window or oven fan.
I cooked my cakes in relays, placing them on a paper towel-lined platter. Serve immediately or hold in a very low oven up to four hours.
Serve rice cakes as a light meal, snack, or side dish. Dipping sauces are delicious but optional.
Notes and Cooking Variations
If you prefer, bread rice cakes in a bowl of seasoned flour, dip them in a second bowl of lightly whisked egg, give them a final dip in a bowl of panko, then fry.
Rice cakes may also be browned on both sides and heated through in a 250F/120C oven.
Rice cakes are good from scratch, too.
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