The Inestimable Vegetable Rice Tian

A “tian” refers to a large number of French layered vegetable dishes, some of which include rice and a binder of some sort (as typified by Julia Child’s Tian de Courgettes au Riz, featured in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2).

I enjoy both styles but admit a particular fondness for the rich creaminess of the latter. It’s simple home cooking at its delicious best, and it lends itself to endless seasonal variation.

The following concept recipe can be interpreted with any number of different vegetables, such as cauliflower, broccoli, fennel, celery, bell peppers, summer squash, zucchini, winter squash, pumpkin, carrots, parsnips, or spinach.

It provides a great vehicle for using leftover raw vegetables, such as broccoli or celery stalks combined with a few carrots. It’s also great with onions only and fabulous with leeks.

For a one-dish meal, diced, cooked ham, chicken, shrimp, crab, prosciutto, or bacon can be added, along with a little more cheese.

Fennel, Bell Pepper, & Summer Squash Creamy Rice Tian

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In this homey, satisfying tian, rice is partially cooked, enrobed in a creamy white sauce (Béchamel), combined with partially cooked veggies and Parmesan, and then baked until bubbly. Serve on its own for a simple supper, with crusty bread alongside.

Rice
½ cup raw, long-grain white rice

Béchamel Sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ cup chicken or vegetable stock
¾ cup milk
fine sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Veggies
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds fresh vegetables, such as:

• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped
• 1 small summer squash, trimmed and cut into ½-inch cubes
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, ribbed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 orange bell pepper, stemmed, ribbed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 poblano chile, stemmed, ribbed, seeded, and chopped (use disposable gloves)
• 1 serrano chile, stemmed, ribbed, seeded, and chopped (use disposable gloves)
• 1 handful baby spinach

Finishing
½ cup grated Parmesan
fine sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus additional for the baking dish

1. To prepare the rice, in a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil and add the rice. Simmer for 5 minutes exactly and drain. Reserve.
2. To make the Béchamel Sauce, in a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter and stir in the flour. Cook, whisking continuously, for 2 minutes. Gradually pour in the stock and milk. Bring to a simmer to thicken the sauce, whisking all the while. Remove from the heat, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reserve.
3. To prepare the veggies, in a large sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter, and sauté the onions (or shallots or leeks) and garlic until tender but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining veggies and cook for 3-5 minutes, until still crisp but softening slightly.
4. To finish, in a large mixing bowl, combine the rice, sauce, veggies, and Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Butter a 6-cup baking dish or soufflé mold. Turn the mixture into the mold and dot the top with the remaining tablespoon of butter.
6. Bake at 425° for 20-30 minutes, until the tian is bubbling and the top is browned. The rice should absorb all the liquid. Serve hot.

Serves 6.

Cookin’ with Gas (inspiration from around the web)

• Italicious: Zucchini and Rice Tian
• Slashfood: French Tian Recipe & Explanation
• Wikopedia: French Tian
• WiseGeek: What is a Tian? 

Copyright 2012 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.