Black Rice Cake with Smoked Salmon and Philadelphia with Dill
A chilled cake with alternating layers of Il Moro black rice and dill cream cheese, a rose of smoked salmon on top, capers and lemon zest. No frying pan, no oven.
A chilled layered starter or summer main course: Il Moro wholegrain black rice, boiled and cooled, alternated with a cream cheese folded through with fresh dill and lemon zest, shaped in a 7-8 centimetre ring mould. On top, a slice of smoked salmon rolled into a rose, rinsed capers, sprigs of dill. No frying pan, no oven, half an hour resting in the fridge to bind the layers. Fifteen minutes of active work, seventy minutes in total for four people.
This is the easy version we make at summer lunches, when keeping the oven and the frying pan switched off is worth more than any refined cooking. No frying pan, no fish to sear: just our black rice cooked and cooled, good-quality smoked salmon, cream cheese folded through with dill and lemon zest. It comes together in five minutes once the rice has cooled, rests in the fridge for half an hour so the flavours bind, and is served chilled.
For the cake we use our Il Moro wholegrain black rice, grown at Lumellogno on the Novara plain and dried at low temperature in our drying plant. The whole grain that comes out of our processing holds the shape of the ring mould even when cold, it does not flatten, it does not crumble when we turn it out. For a buffet, a light dinner, an important starter, it is the recipe that pleases everyone without keeping you in the kitchen.
Ingredients for 4 People
Ingredients
- 280 g Il Moro Wholegrain Black Rice Acqua e Sole
- 200 g sliced smoked salmon (ASC or Friend of the Sea certification)
- 200 g full-fat classic cream cheese (Philadelphia)
- 1 small bunch fresh dill
- 1 unwaxed lemon (zest)
- 1 small shallot, very finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon small capers in salt, rinsed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- to taste flaked fine salt, coarse salt, white pepper
Notes from Home
- Equipment: 4 round ring moulds, 7-8 cm in diameter
- The rice should be boiled in plenty of salted water, drained and spread out on a tray to cool quickly without overcooking
- Classic full-fat cream cheese, not light: you need the full creaminess to hold the layer compact between the rice
- Smoked salmon from a certified ASC or Friend of the Sea source, never without an indication of origin
- Capers in salt, never in vinegar: vinegar breaks the balance of the dill cream cheese
- The cake keeps covered in the fridge for up to 2 hours before serving, beyond that the cream releases moisture
Preparation
Cooking the rice the English way (30 min)
We bring a large pan of salted water to the boil with a level tablespoon of coarse salt. We pour in our Il Moro, stir just once and let it cook over a moderate heat for 30 minutes, until the grain is cooked on the outside and still firm at the heart. We drain it well and spread the rice out on a tray to cool quickly without overcooking. We let it cool to lukewarm for 15 minutes at room temperature.
Dressing the cold rice (3 min)
We transfer the lukewarm rice into a large bowl. We add the finely chopped shallot, the extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of fine salt, a grind of white pepper and the grated zest of half a lemon. We stir with a wooden spoon until the dressing is well distributed. The rice should be cold, glossy with oil, loose and separate.
Dill cream cheese (3 min)
In a second bowl we work the cream cheese with a soft spatula until it turns creamy. We add two generous tablespoons of finely chopped fresh dill, the grated zest of the other half of the lemon and a grind of white pepper. We stir until we have a smooth, fragrant cream. We set it aside at room temperature: straight from the fridge it is too firm to layer.
Preparing the salmon (2 min)
We divide the slices of smoked salmon into two groups: four large, even slices to roll into a rose for the finishing touch, the rest cut into strips about one centimetre wide for the inner layering. We keep it covered in the fridge until the moment of assembly.
First layer of rice (2 min)
We set the four ring moulds on a flat tray. We fill each one to halfway up with the dressed rice, pressing lightly with the back of the spoon to level the layer without crushing it. The rice should be compact but able to breathe: it holds its shape on its own thanks to the oil and the whole grain of our Il Moro.
Layer of cream and salmon (3 min)
We spread a layer of dill cream cheese about one centimetre thick over the rice, levelling it with the back of the spoon or a small spatula. Over the cream we arrange the strips of smoked salmon without overfilling: two or three strips per ring mould are enough. The cream acts as the glue between the two layers of rice.
Second layer of rice and resting (32 min)
We fill each ring mould with more dressed rice up to the rim, pressing lightly again to close it well. We cover the tray with cling film and transfer it to the fridge for 30 minutes: the resting lets the layers bind so the cake holds its shape when turned out. In the meantime we roll the four large slices of salmon into roses on a small plate.
Turning out (2 min)
We take the tray out of the fridge. We move a ring mould to the centre of each flat serving plate. We lift the ring mould straight up with a firm, decisive movement, never wobbling: wobbling drags the rice and the cake crumbles at the edges. If it sticks, lightly grease the inside of the ring mould with a drop of oil before assembling it next time.
Decorating and serving (3 min)
We place a rose of smoked salmon on top of each cake. We scatter the rinsed capers around it, sprigs of fresh dill, a few flakes of Maldon salt at the very last. We serve straight away, with a slice of lemon on the side and lightly toasted crostini of homemade bread. The cake holds up on the table for up to twenty minutes without losing its structure.
The cake we make when the oven is off
Here at Lumellogno, on the Novara plain, in summer the oven goes off early and the frying pan is used as little as possible. The recipes we keep in the notebook for those months are all like this: a cold preparation that comes together in no time, rests in the fridge and arrives at the table with its play of temperatures. This layered black rice cake comes from exactly that thinking. Our Il Moro, boiled in the morning and cooled down well, holds the shape of the ring mould even when cold thanks to the whole grain that comes out of the low-temperature drying. The dill cream cheese acts as a creamy glue, the smoked salmon brings just the right savouriness. A preparation that makes a fine impression without asking us for two hours in the kitchen.
Lumellogno · Novara plain · summer cooking
Il Moro as a base that holds its shape even when cold
The chilled cake has only one rule, and it is that the rice must hold its shape on its own. No binder, no gelatine, no eggs: just the whole grain that lets itself be pressed into the ring mould and then turned out without crumbling. Our Il Moro works here because of one precise thing, the low-temperature drying that we do in our drying plant at Lumellogno. The grain comes out whole, with its internal structure intact, and it holds its shape even after 30 minutes resting in the fridge.
«We sell the same rice we eat here in the family, on the Novara plain. When a chilled cake makes its fine impression under cling film, the credit also goes to whoever looked after the raw material.» From the Acqua e Sole kitchen, Lumellogno
A word of caution on how to buy smoked salmon: always read the label. ASC certification indicates responsible farming, Friend of the Sea guarantees traceable sustainable fishing or farming. They are the two most widespread and reliable standards. Smoked salmon without an indication of origin and FAO area is better left on the shelf, especially for a dish as essential as this, where the flavour of the fish is the star both visually and on the palate.
Questions about the chilled black rice cake
Which smoked salmon should I choose to be sure of sustainability?
Can I prepare the cake in advance for a lunch or a dinner?
Can I replace the cream cheese with another fresh cheese?
Suggested Pairing
To go with this chilled cake we look for dry, mineral Italian whites, fresh on the palate, that stand up to the smoked salmon without weighing it down. We are happy to open a Piedmontese Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG, still or lightly sparkling, or a young Gavi di Gavi DOCG.
For those who want a bit of fizz, a Franciacorta Brut Satèn based on Chardonnay is a well-judged choice. For those who prefer a fuller glass, a dry Rhine Riesling from Alto Adige. Avoid soft, sugary or passito whites: they amplify the richness of the salmon without giving it a counterpoint.
Il Moro Wholegrain Black Rice Acqua e Sole
Our wholegrain black rice, grown at Lumellogno and dried at low temperature in our drying plant. A whole grain that holds the shape of the ring mould even when cold, with a mineral, slightly nutty note that talks to the smoked salmon and to the dill cream cheese. The right variety for chilled cakes, rice salads, summer starters, understated buffets.
Bring Il Moro homeOriginal Acqua e Sole recipe, from our kitchen at Lumellogno.