Ross il-Forn (Rice Cooked in Tomato Meat Sauce)
Ross il-forn is a Maltese baked rice that cooks raw grains straight in the dish with tomato meat sauce, beaten egg and plenty of grated cheese. No separate pot of rice is needed, and the rice soaks up the sauce as it bakes. An egg and cheese crust sets on top. It cuts cleanly into squares, so it travels well to the beach or a picnic, and tastes good warm or cold.
Instructions
Cook the finely diced onion in a little oil in a pan until it turns translucent. Add the diced bacon and minced garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste, then add the minced meat. Cook it, breaking up any lumps, until it is browned all over.
Pour in the tomatoes with their juices and simmer until they no longer taste raw or metallic. The sauce should be thick and saucy rather than watery. Let it cool, and preheat the oven to 180°C.
Butter a stoneware, Pyrex or aluminium dish, rectangular if you like, then rinse it with water and shake out the excess. Lightly beat one egg with a fork in a small bowl.
Put the rice, 500 ml of the tomato meat sauce, the 120 g grated cheese, the beaten egg and the water into the dish. Season lightly and mix gently but thoroughly.
Bake for 30 minutes, then take the dish out and stir. The rice should be nearly cooked with some liquid left to finish it. If it looks too dry, stir in a little more water.
Mix the second egg with the remaining cheese and spread it over the top. Return the dish to the oven for another 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is well browned and firm. The water should be fully absorbed, and the rice underneath should be firm but moist.
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