Back in 1964, an era when "international cuisine" was effectively anything you could reconstitute from a cardboard box in under twenty minutes. This "Lenten Seafood Risotto" is a spectacular example of mid-century penance; nothing says "spiritual reflection" quite like stuffing a wooden fish with canned tuna and garnishing it with hard-boiled eggs.
The copy promises a "toothsome" and "savoury" treat, though modern palates might find the combination of warm lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and "Spanish" rice mix to be a culinary fever dream. One has to admire the commitment to the theme, the rice is served in a fish, to remind you that you're eating fish, while surrounded by ferns, perhaps to distract you from the fact that you're eating dinner out of a decorative bowl that probably smells like furniture polish. It’s the ultimate "I forgot it was Friday during Lent" panic meal, elevated to high art through the magic of 17-minute simmering and a very optimistic food stylist.
Source: March 18, 1964, issue of The Australian Women's Weekly.
