Baked Rice
Like a pasta bake with rice, this is the ultimate in comfort food. Not only cooked in homes, it’s found throughout Malta in bakeries and snack bars sold in small foil containers. If for some outlandish reason you ever have leftovers, the dish doesn’t reheat well, but is delicious cold (just like baked pasta).
Every Maltese family has their own recipe for ross il-forn. Some add Maltese sausage or corned beef (the tinned product is a hangover from wartimes). I’ve kept my recipe more Mediterranean in flavour, spicing it up with a touch of oregano and mint. An old recipe I found also calls for saffron so when I have some, I include it. Serve with crusty bread and a green salad.
Ingredients 17
3 ripe tomatoes, large, grated
500 g meat, minced (ground)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, large, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
100 g bacon, thinly sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste, concentrated purée
500 ml chicken stock
1 1⁄2 tsp salt
1⁄2 tsp dried mint
1⁄2 tsp dried oregano
1 pinch saffron threads, optional
350 g long-grain rice
2 eggs
100 ml milk
60 g parmesan, grated
3 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
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Method 9
If using fresh , score them on their bases and grate with a box grater.
Sauté the with the in a medium saucepan over a medium–high heat until browned with any moisture evaporated. Transfer to a bowl. Add the , and to the pan and sauté over a low–medium heat until the onion is soft (around 8 minutes).
Stir in the , , , , dried herbs and (if using) and cook for 5 minutes. Add the browned , cover with a lid and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to cool.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the for three-quarters of the time indicated on the packet. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool the rice down.
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) and butter a deep baking dish.
Now enjoy the simple pleasure of combining the and meat sauce in its cooking vessel.
Whisk the in a small bowl with the and two-thirds of the grated parmesan. Add to the and meat mixture and combine well.
Top with the remaining , then the . Drizzle with the remaining . Bake the on the top rack of the oven for about 20 minutes, or until a crust develops.
The goal is to finish the cooking of the , but allow it to retain some moisture from the underneath the crust, so be careful not to overcook it.
