Preparation of Sicilian Baked Rice

• Peel the onion, the carrot, and clean the celery, then chop them.
  In a large pot, heat a base of extra virgin olive oil and add the chopped vegetables.
  Let them flavor for a couple of minutes, stirring, then add the ground meat and let it brown on all sides, always stirring.
  Deglaze with the wine, let it evaporate and add the tomato sauce.
  Salt and let it cook over low heat with a lid for at least an hour, stirring occasionally.

• Meanwhile, put the eggs in a small pot, cover them with water and let them cook for eight minutes from boiling, then transfer them to a bowl with cold water and ice to stop the cooking.
  Peel them and set them aside.
  Peel the eggplants and cut them into thin slices, then fry them in hot oil and lay them on kitchen paper or frying paper to drain the excess oil.
  Cut the mozzarella into slices.

• Cook the rice al dente in plenty of salted boiling water.
  When it’s ready, drain it and season it with most of the prepared tomato sauce.
  Butter a large baking dish and pour in a third of the seasoned rice.
  Spread over the rice half of the filling of eggplant slices, sliced hard-boiled eggs, mozzarella, and cooked ham.
  Season with a little more sauce, then make another layer of rice, another layer of filling like the previous one and close with a final layer of rice.

• Cover with the remaining sauce, a generous sprinkle of grated parmesan and some knobs of butter, and bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F for twenty to twenty-five minutes, switching to grill mode in the last minutes of cooking.
  Remove your Sicilian baked rice from the oven and let it rest outside the oven for a quarter of an hour so that it compacts and is easier to portion.

  Chez Bibia