Ingredients

250g packet microwave rice, cooked according to packet instructions
1 egg
2 tablespoons cornflour
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
bunch of basil, stems thinly sliced, leaves set aside
80ml extra-virgin olive oil
4 mandarins (seedless if you can find them), peeled and chopped
½ red onion, finely chopped
60g pitted Sicilian green olives, torn
80g manchego, broken into chunks

If you have the time and minor foresight, this salsa can be made a couple of hours ahead (minus the basil). It means the manchego drinks in the extra oils and mandarin juice. That’s up to you, but it’s a worthwhile bonus. FYI, Sicilian green olives do taste better off the pit, if you can be bothered. Use the side of a knife blade to crush the olives, then pull out the pit. Surprisingly less painstaking than it sounds.

THE SUBS

MICROWAVE RICE any pre-cooked rice
CORNFLOUR rice flour / plain (all-purpose) flour
BASIL parsley / mint / dill / oregano
MANDARINS orange family member of your choice
GREEN OLIVES capers / olive of your choice
MANCHEGO feta / pecorino / gouda / havarti / cheddar

View the recipe collection recipe 

Instructions

1.Turn the grill to high. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2.Combine the rice, egg, cornflour, garlic, basil stems, 1 tablespoon oil and a good pinch of seasoning in a bowl.
3.Give it all a good squish together with your hands.
4.Press and spread over the baking tray to form a thin layer, about 25×30cm is a good size.
5. Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper.
6.Grill the rice ‘sheet’ until firm and starting to crisp around the edges, about 12–15 minutes, then use any utensil (a spoon works) or just fast hands to cut and tear the rice into cracker- sized pieces.
7.Return to the grill and cook until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes.
8.Combine the mandarin, onion, olives, basil leaves and manchego in a bowl.
9.Toss it all together with the remaining oil and season well.
10.Lay out the grilled rice pieces and get everybody else to spoon over their own salsa.

This is an edited extract
from Happy Hour Snacks
by Bec Vrana Dickinson,
published by Hardie
Grant Books. Available
in stores nationally
from 3 September.
$44.99. Photography
by Chris Chen.