Cooking time: 30 min
Fino Sherry, a dry white wine made from Palomino grapes, complements this refreshingly sweet and savory rice salad. The light and crisp sherry balances the sweetness of the raisins and apples and helps cut the richness of the olive oil and saltiness of the black olives.
Boil the rice until al dente, drain in a sieve and rinse under the cold tap, then set aside. Peel the onions and chop finely. Peel the apples and dice finely. Prepare the mushrooms and slice finely. Wash the raisins thoroughly under the tap and leave to drain./p pHeat the oil gently in a large pan and add the onions, cooking them slowly over a low heat and stirring frequently so that they soften without browning. This should take about 5 minutes. Add the diced apple and cook for 3 minutes longer. Now add the olives and almonds (keeping back a few of both for garnish), mushrooms, raisins and fino sherry, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Allow the mixture to cook over a low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Place the cooked rice in a large bowl and gradually add the mixture to it, folding it in thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Transfer to a serving dish and decorate the top with black olives and almonds.
It is an ideal aperitif wine and goes well with all types of tapa, especially olives, nuts and Iberian cured ham.
Also providing the perfect companion for shellfish and fish, especially those with a marked salty taste (anchovies) or even raw (sashimi).
Its low acetic acid content combines exceptionally well with dishes of marked acidity (vinaigrette salads, marinades, etc.) as well as with cold soups (gazpacho, ajo blanco, etc.).
Use an ice bucket with both ice and water to serve chilled between 6º & 8º C.
It adapts perfectly to a diverse range of salty and intense flavours.
In traditional wide-rimmed catavinos, or in white wine glasses.
