Baked Rice with Kohlrabi, Hake & Apple Salsa Verde
- Felicity Vincent
- Dec 14, 2024
- 5 min read
An easy & fresh winter dinner
Baked rice is the perfect vehicle for flavour and quick one pot dinner. Here's my favourite winter version: leeks, onion, kohlrabi, hake and a herby apple salsa verde.
I first learnt about baked rice at the Cordon Bleu School where this was one of the first culinary methods we were taught. It's hard to go back once you try it, absolutely foolproof, easy, quick and customisable. I also love roasting kohlrabi as it becomes sweet and tender so this is a perfect fit for this seasonal vegetable.
Ingredients (serves 2):
Baked rice, kohlrabi and fish recipe:
1 leek
1 1/2 shallots
1 kohlrabi
1 thumb ginger
2 hake fillets
1 cup rice (120g)
2 cups water, boiled (330mL)
1 veg stock cube
Sea salt
Apple salsa verde recipe:
1/2 shallot
1 handfull mint
1 handfull dill
1 handfull coriander
1 handfull parsley
1/2 thumb ginger
1 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs EVOO
Method:
Halve and peel the shallots, then halve the leek and rinse in between the leaves removing any visible dirt.
Slice the leek and 1 1/2 shallots thinly.
Remove and slice the kohlrabi leaves (if there are any), then peel the rest of the kohlrabi with a potato peeler.
Dice the kohlrabi into 1-inch cubes.
Peel and grate the ginger.
In a deep oven proof pan, such as a dutch oven, warm up 1 Tbs vegetable oil on medium heat. Add the leek, shallot and a pinch of salt, then leave to sweat with the lid on for 8 minutes, stirring half way through.
Remove the lid and add the kohlrabi to the pan, along with the grated ginger. Stir it in and leave to brown for 5 minutes.
Put a kettle of water on to boil.
Add a cup of rice to the pan, then pour in 2 cups of boiling water and the veg stock cube, stir until combined.
Place the 2 hake fillets on top of the rice.
Cover the fish and rice with a piece of baking parchment (ideally a cartouche with a hole in the middle) and a lid before putting into the oven for 25-30 minutes.
To make the salsa verde: remove the core of the apple and dice into very small cubes. Bunch up the herbs and chop very thinly, then use a rocking back and forth motion with the knife to cut the herbs up more finely. Grate the ginger into a small bowl and add all the salsa ingredients. Mix until evenly distributed and give it a try to make sure the seasoning is to your taste.
Take the pot out of the oven, remove the lid and top with the salsa verde just before serving.
Bon appétit!
More about this baked rice recipe:
Shortcuts:
This is also a great recipe to use frozen vegetables in.
Keys to success:
A cartouche is a circle of baking parchment. To make it, cut a square out of your paper, then fold it up into a triangle, then fold it in on itself into a smaller triangle and so on until it's very thin. Put the triangle point in the center of your pot and cut it at the edge of the pot with scissors. Then cut the tip of the triangle off. Unroll and you have a circle the size of the pot with a hole in the middle. Alternatively, just scrunch up the baking parchment and fit it on top!
To make sure the fish is cooked, insert the tip of a knife in the centre of it then put the knife against your lips. If it feels too hot then you're good to go. Otherwise, put it back in the oven for another 5 minutes.
Feel free to pop your questions in the comments or message me and I'll be happy to help.
Health benefits of kohlrabi:
They're a good source of:
vitamin B6 which is required to convert food into energy and for the formation of haemoglobin;
vitamin B9 (folate) which supports the formation of red blood cells and the production of serotonin;
vitamin C which acts as a water-soluble antioxidant, protects cells, enables wound healing and helps maintain healthy skin, bones, cartilage and blood vessels; and is required to convert dopamine to noradrenaline;
potassium which helps the function of our heart muscle and balance of bodily fluids, in combination with fibre, this will also help you stay regular;
soluble fibre which helps lower blood cholesterol, and slows the release of energy from food. It also helps bulk stools with water and serves as a prebiotic, meaning it feeds our gut bacteria for a healthy microbiome.
insoluble fibre - helps to make you feel full, and soften stools for better digestive health. It is also associated with phenolic compounds to antioxidant properties.
Cauliflowers also contain other beneficial compounds such as polyphenols (coumaric and vanillic acid) and glucosinolates (broken down when cut/cooked/digested into other beneficial compounds) which act as anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories to protect against cancer and chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's). These are similar to those in broccoli, with some variations, but let's take a closer look:
Kaempferol (polyphenol) - shows a positive association with reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases. Early studies have linked it to anti-diabetic properties, and some animal studies have even shown it blocks the build up of beta-amyloid plaque in the brain which leads to Alzheimer's disease.
Luteolin (polyphenol) - can prevent DNA changes caused by carcinogens, prevent neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases and may lower cholesterol; helps protect skin from UV damage, animal studies also suggest it may play a role in reducing body fat and treating lung hypertension;
Isothiocyanate (a product of the breakdown of glucosinolates) - improves our body's detoxification pathways, making it easier to excrete toxins and carcinogens such as cigarette smoke and pollutants. It has bactericidal properties towards some harmful bacteria, helping our good bacteria thrive. Finally, it has been linked to a reduced risk of cancer, most likely due to promoting cell death (apoptosis) and regulating cell proliferation.
Sulforaphane (a product of the breakdown of glucosinolates) - plays a similar role to isothiocyanate, early animal studies also indicate that it may play a role in kidney health.
Indole-3-carbinol (a product of the breakdown of glucosinolates) - another cancer preventive compound, it also improves oestrogen metabolism, helping to balance our hormone levels - ding ding ding good mood food!
Sulfur based compounds (responsible for broccoli's smell) and fibre support gut health and in turn the immune system and mental health. Sulfur compounds produce glutathione which plays a role in maintaining our gut lining and in general acts as an anti-inflammatory, protecting cell health.
Mood Food - Happy:
Vitamin B6 - required in the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin, one of our feel good hormones linked to serenity and happiness - low amounts of B6 have been linked to tiredness, irritability and depression.
Folate - is linked to levels of serotonin, our good mood hormone often linked to a feeling of serenity; and not having enough folate therefore increases the chance of feeling depressed.
Vitamin C - is involved in converting dopamine to noradrenaline - low amounts of noradrenaline are associated with depression.
Hydration - lowering blood pressure and keeping the gut microbiome healthy means keeping the brain happy due to the gut-brain axis.
Hopefully this makes you excited to try this and many other kohlrabi recipes during its season!
You can find lots of ideas on how to cook with kohlrabi in my newsletter: https://felicityvincent.substack.com/
Video:
Cook along with this step-by-step video and learn how to make my kohlrabi and fish baked rice recipe:
Photos:
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