Savory Rice Bake with Turkey and Celery

Ingredients

• 250 g long grain rice
• 300 g stalks of celery
• 400 g turkey breast fillet
• 3 tbsp butter
• Salt
• black pepper (freshly ground)
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 80 ml Vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 300 ml heavy cream (at least 30% fat)
• 1 egg
• 125 g freshly grated Gouda cheese
• thyme for sprinkling

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the rice thoroughly in a sieve under running water, then cook it in double the amount of salted water until boiling and cover to simmer gently for about 25 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C (Oven + fan).

2. 2.

   Wash and trim the celery, cut into 1 cm wide diagonal strips, finely chop the fresh green tops and set aside. Cut the turkey into pieces, season with salt and pepper, then brown in 1 tbsp hot butter for about 4 minutes while stirring; remove from pan.

3. 3.

   Add the remaining butter to the pan, sauté the onion until translucent. Add the celery and cook for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper, stir in the chopped celery greens and thyme. Mix the celery with the turkey and cooked rice, add broth and lemon juice, then transfer everything into a greased baking dish.

4. 4.

   Whisk together the cream, egg, and half of the cheese; pour over the casserole. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes until golden. Garnish with thyme before serving.