INGREDIENTS
2 cups brown rice
2 cups whey
2 punnets cherry tomatoes
Salt
2 baby fennel
½ cup grey salt bush leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon
2 cups mixed shoots and edible flowers from the garden
1 onion flower (optional)
METHOD
- Soak the rice in the whey for 24 hours at room temperature and then a further 24 hours in the fridge. Water can be used to soak the rice, if whey is unavailable.
- Strain rice and place in a solid steam oven tray and steam at 100 °C for 1 hour. Once cooked, remove and leave to cool.
- Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and season well with salt (approximately 3 pinches of salt), leaving to cure for around 15 minutes.
- Finely slice the fennel, making sure you use the entire fennel including the bulb and stalks.
- Strip the leaves off the salt bush and finely slice the leaves.
- Place the fermented rice into a large mixing bowl, adding the sliced fennel and salt bush.
- Squeeze out the seeds and extra liquids from the tomatoes into a small mixing bowl, before adding the tomatoes to the rice salad.
- Mix 2 parts of olive oil to 1 part tomato juice and mix well, add lemon juice to taste.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. Check for seasoning and add seasoning to taste.
- Place into a serving bowl and randomly sprinkle over the shoots and flowers.
- Shave off onion flower petals and add to dish prior to serving (optional).
Hints and tips
- If you don’t have the time to ferment the rice, you can cook 2 cups of brown rice with 2 cups of water and steam at 100°C for 40 minutes.
- This salad can be made in advance and can be kept for up to 2-3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Mixed shoots and edible flowers from the garden can be varied depending on season and particular tastes. A selection of rocket leaves, borage flowers, basil flowers and seeds and onion flower petals were used for Matt’s demonstration.
APPLIANCE / FUNCTION
Matt Stone
Hailing from the remote and bountiful region of Margaret River, Western Australia, Matt Stone spent his formative years surrounded by one of Australia's richest landscapes for produce. As a chef and author, his cuisine underscores an ideology deeply rooted in connection to country. His sustainable dining philosophies drives him to create modern and innovative food, showcasing quality seasonal produce. He believes in slow food and locally sourced ingredients and when he’s not at the stove or in the garden, you’ll find him experimenting with pickling and preserving.
