Baked Fish Rice with Three Cheeses

Method

1. Peel and chop 80g carrot, 30g celery and the onion.
2. Cut 400g skinned fish into small pieces, season with a little salt and white pepper and set aside.
3. Heat the oven to 200 degrees C with top and bottom heat.
4. Put the celery and carrot in a blender and blend until even. In another blender, blend the onion, 30g garlic and 50g shallot, mix them together and set aside.
5. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium nonstick pan, add 40g corn kernels, half the carrot and celery mixture and half the onion and garlic mixture, and cook thoroughly until soft.
6. Add 2 beaten eggs, then 300g rice, and stir so the rice fries with the egg. Season with salt and white pepper, spread the mixture into a baking dish and lay the pieces of fish on top.
7. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small pan, add 1 sprig of thyme and the rest of the onion and garlic mixture. Add 2 tablespoons white rice wine to lift the browned bits if you are using it, then pour in 100ml whipping cream.
8. Keep it over medium heat for about 6 minutes until the cream thickens, then pour it over the tray.
9. Cover the surface evenly with 60g grated parmesan, 80g mozzarella cheese and 30g cheddar cheese, then bake for about 8 minutes until golden.

Tips

• The white rice wine is optional and the dish works without it.
• White fillets that are easy to buy, such as basa or red tilapia, suit this tray.
• Parmesan cheese is sold in the imported section of larger supermarkets.
• Cold cooked rice rather than freshly cooked rice keeps the grains separate and the tray from turning soggy.