Italian Rice Salad

Ingredients

• 300 g long-grain rice
• 200 g mixed pickled vegetables (giardiniera)
• 160 g tuna in olive oil, drained
• 120 g cooked ham, diced
• 120 g provolone or emmental, diced
• 80 g green olives, halved
• 2 pieces eggs, hard-boiled
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 15 g basil leaves

Steps

1. 1
   Cook the rice in plenty of salted water until just tender, then drain and rinse under cold water to stop it cooking and wash off surface starch.
2. 2
   Spread the rice on a tray, toss with 2 tbsp of the olive oil and let it cool completely. Oiling it now stops it clumping later.
3. 3
   Roughly chop the pickled vegetables, keeping a little of their brine.
4. 4
   Combine the rice with the pickles, tuna, ham, cheese and olives.
5. 5
   Dress with the remaining oil, the lemon juice and a spoon of the pickle brine, and season.
6. 6
   Chill at least 2 hours. Fold through torn basil and top with quartered eggs just before serving.