Valencian gastronomy is rich in rice dishes. There are very traditional ones, such as Valencian paella or baked rice, and other very strange ones (like the ones you can find in this article). But dishes based on rice can be found throughout the whole of Valencia Region. Today we are talking about one that is as traditional as it is strange, crusted rice, arroz con costra.
Callosa de Segura, Elche, Orihuela and Pego (the picture is from the Tourism Office of this municipality) are competing to be the cradle of this peculiar Valencian rice.
Like baked rice, crusted rice is cooked in a clay pot, preferably over a wood fire. But since it is difficult to prepare it “daily” in wood fire, it is accepted to be cooked in a paella pan and finishing the cooking in the oven. This also gives an advantage, as this prevents rice from passing.
One of its peculiarities when cooking rice with a crust is the use of the «costrera», a kind of metal lid with which the rice is covered when it is almost done, and on which the embers that are left over are placed. Cooking, with the intention that they have just roasted the egg crust.
Egg is the differentiating product in crusted rice, a dish very similar to the typical baked rice, but on which beaten egg is placed with the intention of forming that peculiar crust that gives its name to this delicacy of the Alicante cuisine.
How to make crusted rice
First, the oven is put to heat in grill mode at maximum temperature.
Then we start with the recipe for rice with crust itself: we cut the red and white sausages with a length of about four centimeters. The white and the red sausage are cut into not very thin slices.
Once everything is cut, put a clay pot on the fire with a splash of extra virgin olive oil. If there is no clay pot, a similar container can be used that must meet the following characteristics: it must be flat, deep and suitable for the oven. The oven is an important factor.
It is important to fry in steps because each product takes a different time to cook. First, fry the red sausage and set aside. Then fry the white sausage and combine it with the red one.
In that same oil and in the bowl, fry the chicken that has to be cut into small pieces since otherwise it will not be easy to eat later.
Once we have it fried, add the rice. Hot water is added; twice as much water as rice.
The amount of water added to the crusted rice depends on the brand of the rice.
It is left to cook for about ten or fifteen minutes and it is tested to check the salt point. When the water is boiling add the saffron.
Once it is almost cooked and there is little water left, beat the eggs with a little salt since the egg does not take the salt from the sausage. And at that moment we add the sausage;
Before the rice is completely done, and when there is a little water left, the beaten egg is added. If you don’t have that little water the rice would cake in the oven. The rice is then placed in the oven.
It must remain in the oven until we see a golden crust. Even so, we will make sure that the egg is fully cooked by pricking it with a fork or rod.
Remove from the oven and serve in portions as a triangle, accompanied by a good red wine and great company.
