Episode 4: Sartu di Riso

"Greetings everybody and welcome back to a new episode of our show cooking with Astrid and Hiccup. I'm Hiccup and this is my lovely co-host and girlfriend Astrid." Hiccup introduces. Astrid however doesn't look very happy today.

"Hello all." Astrid merely said with a wave.

"Astrid what's wrong?" Hiccup now asked. Astrid's brow twitched before sending a glare to the audience where Toothless was sitting.

"Your dragon drank all my espresso this morning." She grumbled. "I still haven't had my coffee."

"But Toothless doesn't look caffeine-high." Hiccup said as he curiously looked at the Night Fury. It was then that Toothless chose to faceplant forward and fall off the bleachers. "Nevermind." Hiccup said as he rolled his eyes. "At least he didn't hijack the washing machine this time."

"Oh don't remind me of that." Astrid grumbled.

"Hey, we had fun….. eventually." Hiccup mumbled as he remembered them chasing after a hyper Toothless for more than half the day only to end up tangled in a fisherman's net with an eel down Hiccup's shirt.

"So today we'll be making Sartu di Riso." Hiccup mentioned changing the subject. He watched Toothless happily dozing for now. The coffee would take effect in an hour or two.

"Now for the ingredients we'll need 1 pound Arborio rice (2 1/3 cups), 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 dried bay leaf, 3 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, 4 large eggs, at room temperature, 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 8 ounces sweet Italian sausage or sweet Italian turkey sausage, 1 clove garlic, chopped, 1 shallot, sliced, 2 sprigs basil, One 2-inch piece Parmigiano-Reggiano rind, One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, 3 tablespoons whole milk, at room temperature, 7 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 8 ounces ground sirloin or ground dark turkey meat, Olive oil, for frying, 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, 1 cup frozen peas, thawed, One 8-ounce ball fresh mozzarella, diced.

"Oh Thor Hiccup, this is an Italian recipe isn't it?" Astrid asked as she leaned on the counter after presenting all the ingredients. Hiccup nodded and Astrid beamed. "You know how much I like Italian dishes." She said with a wink which made Hiccup blush.

"N…N…Now" Hiccup sputtered and the audience giggled seeing him so flustered. "In a large saucepan combine the rice, chicken broth, 1 1/4 teaspoons of the salt and the bay leaf. Stir and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring once, until the rice is still slightly undercooked but the liquid is absorbed, 8 minutes."

"Next pour the rice into a large bowl and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 1/2 cups of the cheese and 3 of the eggs until well combined, and set aside." Hiccup explained as he and Astrid demonstrated.

"Meanwhile, heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a medium nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove the sausage from the casing and break into small, bite-size pieces." Hiccup said and frowned when Astrid took a ruler and measured the sausage.

"Astrid what are you doing?" Hiccup asked perplexed as she held her knife ready but frowned at the sausage.

"I'm trying to figure out how long is acceptable. Bite-size pieces is such a vague concept." Astrid said while taking out a notepad and scribbling some calculations on it. The audience groaned at this and facepalmed.

"Astrid probably a third of the finger length would be good enough." Hiccup explained. The audience thought that if this was a cartoon then a giant sweatdrop would have been hanging over Hiccup's head right now.

"Add the sausage to the hot oil and cook until browned, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon as it cooks. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage to a medium bowl and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, shallots and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring constantly until fragrant and the shallots are soft, 1 minute. Add the basil, cheese rind and tomatoes, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon for 15 to 20 minutes." Hiccup told the audience as Astrid had chopped the sausages to a precise millimeter.

"Then remove the basil and cheese rind. Add 2 cups of the sauce to the reserved sausage and set aside." Astrid happily chirped as she took a bit of cheese to taste.

"Meanwhile, in a separate medium bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of the breadcrumbs, the milk and the remaining egg with a fork and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to thicken. Stir in the oregano, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Using your hands, mix in the beef, until just combined. Heat 1/2-inch of olive oil in a medium straight-sided pan. Scoop 1-tablespoon mounds of the mixture into damp hands and roll into uniform balls." Hiccup now explained and then quickly added "No Astrid, the balls do not have to be precise."

"Oh ruin all my fun." Astrid stated while poking Hiccup in the side.

"When the oil is hot, fry the balls in 2 batches, turning them as needed with a slotted spoon to brown the balls evenly, about 4 minutes. When golden brown and crispy all around, remove the balls using a slotted spoon to the bowl with the sausage and sauce. Continue with the remaining balls, and then toss to coat evenly in the sauce."

Hiccup saw Toothless begin to stir and then quickly continued. "Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using 1 tablespoon of the butter, grease the inside of a Bundt pan or a 3 1/2-quart Dutch oven, making sure to coat it very well. Dust the inside of the pan with 3 tablespoons of the breadcrumbs. Make sure it is evenly coated and there are no bald spots. This is very important to prevent sticking." Astrid did this as she hummed.

"How long till I get a taste babe?" Astrid then asked.

"Just a little while longer Astrid." Hiccup answered before saying. "Add the peas and diced mozzarella to the meat and sauce, and toss gently to incorporate. Spoon two-thirds of the rice mixture into the prepared bundt pan. Using damp hands, press the rice evenly over the bottom of the pan and 2 1/2-inches up the sides and middle of the pan. Spoon the meat filling into the well of rice and press gently to make sure it is evenly packed. Spoon the remaining rice over the filling and, using damp hands, press the rice evenly over the filling, being sure to press the rice on top into the rice along the edges to seal. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs and dot with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter. Bake until lightly browned on top, 45 minutes. Then cool for 15 minutes."

Hiccup brought a premade plate to the counter and Astrid gleefully clapped while rocking on the balls of her feet.

"Place a plate large enough to cover the top of the pan over the pan. Using heat-resistant pads or a towel, invert the sartu onto the plate. Carefully lift the pan off of the rice, shaking gently if needed. Warm the remaining sauce and fill the opening in the middle of the molded rice with the sauce to serve." Hiccup said as he saw Astrid start to drool from the smell. It was also the moment that Toothless decided to wake up.

His pupils slitted as he eyed Hiccup before dashing straight towards him.

"Oh no" Hiccup muttered as Toothless jumped on him and began to shower him with licks. That thankfully didn't last long as a hyper Toothless sniffed the air. The dragon turned to the dish which sat on the counter.

"TOOTHLESS NO!" Hiccup screamed but it was too late. Toothless proceeded to gobble up the dish that Astrid was drooling over.

Astrid stared wide eyed at the now empty plate before screaming "MY FOOD!" She grabbed her axe which she kept under the counter during filming and advanced on Toothless. "GET BACK HERE YOU USELESS REPTILE!" she shouted before sprinting after Toothless who ran backstage.

Hiccup shakily stood back up behind the counter. "That's all for today ladies and gentleman." He winced when crashes could be heard from backstage. "Join us tomorrow for our last episode."

Producer's note:

(Walks in on Tuffnut and Chicken)

Tuffnut: "How could you Chicken?! How could you?"

Chicken: "toktok"

Tuffnut: "I gave you everything and you run off with some rooster!"

Chicken: "TokTOk"

Tuffnut: "Don't try to explain, you've already broken my heart. He wasn't the one to take you to Mardi Gras"

Chicken: "TOOOOK" (Chicken clucked before walking away)

Me: (awkward)