Tummàla - Festive Baked Rice
Tummàla
Region: Italy, Sicily
Category: Rice, Couscous, and Other Grains
Season: Any
Difficulty: Labor Intensive

Tummàla is a magnificent feast dish, which should be shared with many friends. A Christmas specialty in Sicily, it is also prepared for all sorts of festive occasions when a grand culinary gesture is warranted. The Italian translation of the Sicilian tummàla is timballo, leading one to believe that this dish is derived from the French timbale, a kettledrum that became the name of a kind of culinary mold. In fact, the name comes either from Muhammed Ibn al-Thumna, the eleventh-century Emir of Catania, or possibly from tummala, the Arabic name for a certain kind of plate, although that etymology cannot be confirmed. Another derivation might be from the Arabic thumn, a measure of capacity, or from tunbur, a stringed instrument. Traditionally, this Sicilian dish would be made with a chicken with its unborn eggs. Now, concerning some of the ingredients. You’re just not going to find a chicken with unborn eggs so you can forget that. The cheeses, pecorino pepato, caciocavallo, and fresh mozzarella can be found in Italian markets or gourmet cheese shops. The first is simply a young pecorino cheese made with peppercorns thrown into the curd. The mozzarella is used in place of fresh tuma, a fresh unsalted pecorino cheese which is only found at the source of production, so it’s not available in this country, although a young tuma between 3 months and 6 months old is sold in the U.S. and found in Italian markets. Caciocavallo is a spun-curd cow’s milk cheese and can be replaced with provolone. Finally, don't let the list of ingredients intimidate you. Great length, in this case, does not mean great difficulty.

[photos: Clifford A. Wright]

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings
Preparation Time: 4:30 hours

One 3-pound chicken     3 medium onions, 2 cut into eighths, 1 chopped     2 celery stalks, cut into chunks     4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and quartered     5 fresh parsley sprigs     10 black peppercorns     1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs     3 tablespoons milk     3/4 pound ground veal     3/4 pound Pecorino Pepato cheese, grated     1 large garlic clove, finely chopped     6 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley       Salt to taste     1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

7 large eggs (2 hard-boiled and sliced)     2 tablespoons lard     1/2 pound mild Italian sweet sausage, sliced 1/2 inch thick     1/4 pound pork rind, cut into thin strips     2 tablespoons tomato paste     2 1/2 cups short-grain rice, such as Arborio rice, soaked in tepid water to cover for 30 minutes or rinsed well in a strainer, drained       Butter     1 cup dry bread crumbs     1/2 pound fresh Mozzarella cheese, sliced     1/4 pound Caciocavallo cheese, thinly sliced     1/4 pound Pecorino cheese, grated

1. In a large stock pot that will fit the chicken comfortably, place the chicken with its gizzards, 2 onions cut in eighths, celery stalks, tomatoes, parsley sprigs, and peppercorns. Cover with cold water and bring to a near boil over high heat. As soon as the water looks like it is going to boil, reduce immediately to a simmer and cook the chicken until the meat falls off the bone when pushed with a fork, without letting the water boil, 2 hours .

2. While the chicken is cooking prepare the veal croquettes. In a bowl, soak the fresh bread crumbs in the milk. If the mixture looks soggy, squeeze the milk out. Add the veal, half of the pecorino pepato, the garlic, 2 tablespoons of the chopped parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Lightly beat 1 egg and add to the mixture. Mix well with a fork or your hands. Form croquettes the size and shape of your thumb. Cover and put aside in the refrigerator.

3. Drain the chicken, saving all the broth in a smaller pot. Remove and discard all the skin and bones from the chicken and cut the meat into small pieces.

4. In a large frying pan, cook the chopped onion in 1 tablespoon lard over medium heat until golden, stirring, about 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining lard to the pan and cook the veal rissoles until they are browned. Add the sausage and the pork rind and cook for 10 minutes. Return the cooked onion to the pan with the remaining 4 tablespoons parsley, and the tomato paste diluted in 1 cup hot water. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Set aside.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

6. Bring the chicken broth to a boil and reduce by one-third. Pour 2 1/2 cups broth into a heavy saucepan, bring to a boil, add the rice and about 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Cook, covered and without stirring until al dente, about 15 minutes. Pour about 3/4 cup of broth into the veal-sausage mixture.

7. Drain the rice, if necessary, and mix it with the remaining pecorino pepato.

8. Butter a deep baking dish or casserole and spread 1 cup of dry bread crumbs on the bottom, shaking vigorously to spread them thin so that they coat the bottom of the baking dish.

9. Spread the rice on top of the bread crumbs, about 3/4 inch high. Spread three-quarters of the chicken and half of the veal croquettes and sausage mixture on top of the rice. Make a layer of hard-boiled egg. Layer the mozzarella cheese on top of the eggs. Cover with the remaining veal and sauce. Spread on a layer of caciocavallo cheese. Mix the remaining chicken with the remaining rice and spread it on top.

10. Beat the remaining 4 eggs lightly and combine with the pecorino cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce evenly over the top.

11. Bake until the top has a nice golden crust, about 1 hour. Check from time to time to be sure it doesn’t dry out. The tummàla can be served directly from the baking dish with the pan sauces or with tomato sauce.

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Posted: 01/10/2007