Author Notes
Ok, so I have this rice left over from last night's dinner, and I'm thinking, What to do with it? I wasn't in the mood for a stir-fry. Turn on the TV and browse Netflix, and watch a couple of episodes of David Chang's Mind of a Chef,--and there was my idea! He was in Spain talking to famous chefs and showed a Salt-Cod Torta, and I thought, THERE ya go! I had tilapia in the freezer, cilantro (instead of parsley, which I'm not so fond of), onions, and plenty of eggs, so, I decided to make my own version. This recipe is the result of, basically, what I had available, but it turned out really well! I didn't have any more olive oil, which would have made it more authentic, but the salted butter worked fine and gave it a good flavor. I cooked this in a well-seasoned iron skillet, placed the skillet up on a series of metal cups in a large baking pan filled halfway with water--why? Because I like a torta with a soft bottom, not a crispy one. You can skip the water bath if you want, but keep the oven on 350 and butter the pan well. I also used whatever seafood I had available, which was not a lot, but if you wish to make a richer torta with more crab or shrimp, go for it--it will taste even better! I like to serve this simply with steamed fresh vegetables or a salad with balsamic vinegar dressing. The torta is cut into six good-sized pieces, but you can get eight slices for a luncheon, or more people for dinner, if need be. This dish is excellent served with a good chilled white wine and a fruit dessert (like my Creamy Dreamy Fresh Fruit Ambrosia). —BeijingRose
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Ingredients
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2 cups
cooked rice
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4
eggs (beaten)
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1 cup
Eggbeaters (for less fat)
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1/2 pound
tilapia filets
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1/2 cup
crabmeat
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1/2 cup
cooked shrimp, shelled and de-veined
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1/2
onion, sliced thin
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2
small flour tortillas, cut in small strips
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1 tablespoon
garlic powder
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2 tablespoons
dried oregano
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1/2 teaspoon
cayenne pepper
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salt to taste
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1/2
tomato half, sliced thin
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1
TBSP butter
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1/2
bunch chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
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Set the oven to 350 degrees. The best pan for this is a heavy, seasoned, iron skillet, but a large baking dish will also work--cook it in a teflon pan. then place in a glass baking dish (just spray it with butter spray to prevent sticking).
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Melt the butter over medium heat and lay the tilapia filets in the pan, surrounded with the sliced onion and flour tortilla strips, shrimp and crab. Stir-fry the items gently and sprinkle with the garlic, salt, oregano and cayenne pepper. Cook all the ingredients until the fish is done, the onions begin to caramelize and tortilla strips start to turn a light gold.
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Add the cooked rice and toss gently until blended. Beat the eggs and Eggbeaters together with a little salt and the chopped fresh cilantro, then pour over the ingredients in the pan. Prop the pan or skillet in a larger baking pan half -filled with water--this prevents the bottom from cooking too fast and crusting up--you want a softer bottom to the torta, which will keep it more moist and makes for easier cutting. Place the tomato slices around the top as shown in the photo.
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Bake on 350 degrees for 35 minutes, then turn off the oven and turn on the broiler for about 10 minutes to toast the top of the torta and cook the tomato slices. Slice and serve either cold or hot. This goes well with steamed vegies when hot, or chilled, serve with salad or a cold gazpacho.
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