Spanish Baked Rice Recipe

The recipe for baked rice is traditional of the Valencian Community, as is the case with other dishes such as arroz a banda, negro or paella.  In particular, it is prepared in a clay pot and, as its name suggests, it is cooked in the oven. In some towns it is called cassola because of the container in which it is cooked (i.e. cazuela in Spanish). As with other recipes, its origin lies in the use of the leftovers of the stew. Thus, some of the ingredients of the recipe for baked rice are chickpeas and pork products such as chorizo and black pudding, as well as the broth from the cocido. Sometimes it is made with water and cold meat or pork ribs are added.

Ingredients:

  • Bomba (medium or short-grain) rice (300 g), onion black pudding (4 small ones), cooked chickpeas (100 g), stew broth (600 ml), pork ribs (4), bacon (4 slices), tomato (1), potato (1), crushed tomato, garlic, saffron, salt, olive oil and a head of garlic (optional)

How to Make the Baked Rice Recipe:

1. First, start by peeling the potatoes and cutting them round and thin. In a pan with plenty of oil, fry them and set them aside on a different dish.

2. In a frying pan with a dash of oil, sauté the previously cut tomatoes. Keep it aside in a bowl.

3. The next step is to cut the pork ribs in half, adding a bit of salt. Brown in a frying pan and also set aside.

4. In the same pan as the ribs, fry the bacon, which will have been cut into small pieces. When it is ready, put it aside together with the ribs.

5. In the same way, sauté the black pudding in the frying pan. Leave it with the rest of the meat ingredients.

6. In the same pan add saffron, three spoonfuls of tomato sauce, the rice and the chickpeas.

baked rice

7. Stir all the ingredients well so that the flavours are combined.

8. Place everything in an clay pot, adding the bacon, ribs and black pudding, as well as the tomato. The potatoes are usually put on top. A typical presentation consists of putting a head of garlic in the centre.

9. Finally, pour in the boiling broth and cook in the oven for 20 minutes at 220ºC. After this, the recipe for baked rice will be ready. However, as each oven is different, check that the rice is not raw and be careful not to overcook it.


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