YLY BAKED RICE FROM ALICANTE

250 g ground ( minced ) lean pork or veal, or a mixture
30g fresh bread crumbs, soaked in milk or water to cover and then squeezed dry
45g almonds, ground
3 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf ( Italian ) parsley
1 lemon zest, grated
s.q. salt. Tsts
s.q. freshly ground pepper. Tsts


1 red bell pepper ( capsicum )
6 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
1L chicken stock
1 whole chicken breast, boned with skin intact and cut into 1-inch cubes
s.q. salt, Tsts
s.q. fresh ground pepper, Tsts
125 g thick-cut bacon, cut into ¼ inch dice, or sweet pork sausage, sliced
2 cup Spanish medium-grain rice such as Bomba or Calasparra
220 g drained, cooked or canned chickpeas ( garbanzo beans )
7 eggs
60 ml milk

1. To make the meatballs, in a bowl, combine the ground pork and or veal, bread crumbs, almonds, parsley, egg, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Mix well and form into tiny meatballs each about 1 inch in diameter, set aside.
2. Preheat a broiler ( griller ). Cut the bell pepper in half lengthwise and remove the stem, seeds, and ribs. Place, cut sides down, on a baking sheet. Broil ( grill) until the skin blackens and blisters. Remove from the broiler, drape the pepper loosely with aluminum foil, and let cool for 10 min, then peel away the skin. Place in a blender or food processor and set aside.
3. Preheat an oven to 350’f
4. In a large ovenproof frying pan over low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic cloves and sauté until tender, 2-3 min . Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to the blender or food processor with the roasted red pepper. Add 125 ml chicken stock and process to form a smooth puree. Set aside
5. Sprinkle the chicken and pork pieces with salt and pepper. Heat the oil remaining in the frying pan over high heat. Add the chicken and brown well on all sides, 5-8 min . Using the slotted spoon, transfer to a plate. One at a time, brown the pork pieces, meatballs, and the bacon or sausage over high heat in the same oil. Set aside with the chicken.
6. meanwhile, in a sauce pan over high heat, bring the remaining 875 ml stock to a boil, then reduce the heat to low to maintain a bare simmer, when you are finished browning the meats, add the rice to the oil remaining in the frying pan over medium heat. Stir will, then add the reserved pepper puree and cook for a few min until well blended. Add the simmering stock, the chickpeas, and the meats, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cook uncovered, stirring often, until the flavors are blended and some of the liquid is absorbed, about 7 min . transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 min J( oil making ahead, stop at this point. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Reheat in a 325’f oven until warmed through, then continue as directed. )
7. in a bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk until blended. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the rice. Raise the oven temperature to 500’f and continue to bake until the top is browned, 5-8 min ( if the top fails to brown after 8 min and the pan is flameproof, slip it under the broiler for a few min until browned. )
8. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 min before serving, then serve directly from the pan.


Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user YULAIYUK.