Maltese rice with pork sausage

Maltese baked rice turns simple pantry staples into a rich, golden-topped meal. This family classic brings together Mediterranean flavours in a dish made for sharing.

Credit: Josh Martin

• serves

  4-6

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  1 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

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Shane Delia's Malta

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Ingredients

• 2 cups long-grain rice
• 100 ml olive oil 
• 160 g onion, diced
• 10 g garlic, chopped
• 10 g curry powder
• ½ kg Maltese pork sausage (see Note)
• 80 g Maltese tomato paste (see Note) 
• 1 x 410 g can crushed tomatoes
• Cracked pepper 
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 150 g hard Maltese cheese, grated (see Note)
• 50 g hard Maltese cheese, grated, extra, for topping the dish (see Note)

Resting time: 10 minutes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200˚C. 
2. Add rice to a pot and cover with just enough water to come 1–2 cm above the rice. Bring to the boil and cook until the water evaporates (see Note). Remove from heat, cover with a lid and steam. 
3. Meanwhile, to make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent, then add curry powder and fry for a minute or two, until fragrant.
4. Add pork sausage and use a whisk to break up the mince so it forms small pieces, rather than cooking in clumps. Keep cooking until the sausage browns. 
5. Add the tomato paste to the sausage mixture and mix through, continuing to stir while frying. Add the tin of tomatoes and 400 ml of warm water. Simmer for 15 minutes to release flavours and the consistency thickens. 
6. Add the cooked rice into the sauce and mix through, making sure the rice is evenly coated. 
7. In a bowl, add eggs and cheese, whisking to combine. Fold this egg mixture through the sauce, mixing well.
8. Pour mixture into a 30cm-diameter baking dish or cast-iron skillet, then cover with the extra grated cheese.
9. Place the dish into the oven and bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown. 
10. Remove and allow to sit and set at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

• The rice should be three quarters cooked before the heat is turned off and the lid placed on.
• Maltese sausage can be substituted with pork, beef, or Italian pepper sausage. To prepare, remove the meat from the casings and crumble into the pan.
• Maltese tomato paste can be substituted with regular tomato paste.
• Maltese cheese can be substituted with parmesan cheese.

Watch how to make this recipe on Episode 1 of Shane Delia’s Malta, streaming free on SBS On Demand.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Upcoming On Demand

Shane Delia's Malta

series • 

travel

PG

series • 

travel

PG