For any movie marathon – whether planning a movie night or working your way through a whole franchise over a weekend – finger food is always a winner. There’s something so cinematic about cigars. They always make me think of a Bond villain or an eccentric detective in a crime thriller. As a cigar innocent, these brown rice and prawn “cigars” are my playful take on the real thing – and a sociable companion to a movie marathon or game night.
BROWN RICE CIGARS
TIME: 1½ hours | SERVES: makes 12
INGREDIENTS
for the brown rice cigars
125 ml Spekko Saman Brown Rice
30 ml butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
400 g prawns, shelled and deveined
salt and freshly ground black pepper
juice of 1 lemon
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
15 g fresh coriander, finely chopped
15 g flat leaf parsley finely chopped
12 sheets phyllo pastry
100 g (110 ml) butter, melted
for the dipping sauce
4 spring onions, finely chopped
1 green chili, sliced
1 red chili, sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
100 ml sweet soy sauce
40 ml tomato sauce
15 ml prosecco vinegar
40 ml honey
METHOD
for the brown rice cigars
Heat the oven to 180 °C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Cook the rice according to the instructions provided on the packaging. Drain and let it cool to room temperature. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and fry until soft and translucent. Slice the prawns into 1 cm pieces and add to the onions. Fry until cooked and season with salt, pepper, lemon juice and zest. Take off the heat and let it cool for about 15 minutes before adding the coriander and parsley. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo pastry on your work surface. Brush the sheet with melted butter. Fold the phyllo sheet in half horizontally to form a rectangle. Spoon 2 tablespoon of the mixture about 3 cm form the edge on the pastry. Fold the sides over and brush the top of the folded edges. Roll the phyllo into a tight cigar shape. Place on the baking tray. Brush on top with more melted butter and repeat the process with the rest. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until golden and crispy. Serve warm with the dipping sauce.
for the dipping sauce
Mix all the ingredients together and serve with the cigars.
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