Traditional Maltese Baked Rice

Rice is another one of my favourite foods. There are many varieties of rice including basmati, long grain, sticky, brown, arborio, luckily for me all of which are gluten free. Rice is the staple food in most of the countries and it is an important cereal crop that feeds more than half the world's population. Rice is a great energy source and is extremely beneficial for health as it does not contain any harmful fats or cholesterol. 

"Ross fil-forn" is a traditional Maltese dish and all time favourite. It's primary ingredient is of course rice, mixed into a tomato based sauce and baked in the oven. I remember both my grandma and my mother making this dish quite often when I was growing up, and I have no doubt that the recipe will continue to be passed on to many more future generations. It is one of the most popular recipes from our little island Malta and can be found in most traditional Maltese restaurants. 

Not only is the dish simple to make, it is rich in Mediterranean flavour. There are quite a few different methods of making this dish, but through trial and error I have found the below to be the best. I usually serve this dish hot, however it is quite common for the locals to serve this dish cold at picnics or at the beach - either way, still tasty!

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Ingredients: 

- 1 onion, diced
- 1 jar chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp tomato paste 
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 can corned beef
- 2 cups of cooked rice 
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 eggs, hard boiled & diced
- grated Parmesan cheese
- salt & pepper 
- chicken cube 
- vegetable oil, to drizzle





Method: 

Fry the diced onion in a pot until soft. Add the tomato sauce and 1 tsp tomato paste. Add salt, sugar and the chicken cube and bring to the boil. Once boiling, add the corned beef and cook for a few minutes, until the corned beef has 'dissolved' in the sauce. Season according to taste. 

Add the cooked rice and allow to simmer until reduced slightly. Stir occassionally in order to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom. Mix in the beaten eggs and grated cheese and place half the rice mixture in an oven proof dish. Add a layer of diced hard boiled eggs and sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese. Pour the remaining rice mixture into the dish. Drizzle with olive oil and bake in the oven for 40 minutes, or until the top has browned. Serve warm. 

Should you have any mixture remaining, pour this into individual moulds or into a cupcake tray. This makes the dish more appealing to children. The baked rice can be frozen for later use.