Ross il-Forn

Baked rice with tomato, minced meat and cheese.

• Serves: 6 people
• Preparation: 20 min
• Cooking: 1 hr 15 min

Ingredients

• 400g short-grain rice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion (150g), finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 500g beef mince (or beef and pork mix)
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 120ml red wine (optional but traditional)
• 100g frozen peas
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 80g grated Parmesan or Pecorino
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1.2 litres beef stock (approximately)

Method

1. Soften the onion and garlic, brown the minced meat, then simmer it with tomato, oregano and optional red wine until rich.
2. Cook the rice in the beef stock for about 10–12 minutes, stopping while it still has a little bite; drain only if liquid remains.
3. Combine the drained rice with the meat sauce and peas.
4. Mix in the beaten eggs, milk and half the cheese.
5. Pack into a buttered dish, top with the remaining cheese and pepper, then bake at 180°C until set and crisp on top.
6. Rest for several minutes before slicing.

Food safety: Heat the centre of the casserole to at least 74°C.