Hong Kong Style Baked Cheesy Rice Recipe

Servings: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

for the tomato sauce:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large beefsteak tomato, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 ½ teaspoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup|80 grams ketchup
¾ teaspoon granulated sugar
kosher salt, to taste

for the cheesy rice:
8 tablespoons|113 grams unsalted butter
2 tablespoons tamarind vinegar (or apple cider or rice vinegar)
1 ½ tablespoons honey or maple syrup
3 cups|400 grams leftover cooked rice
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup|85 grams shredded Mexican cheese
1 cup|125 grams shredded low-moisture mozzarella

1. Make the sauce: Heat the oil in a small saucepan over high. Add the onion and cook for until lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato and cook until just soft, about 2 minutes more, then transfer to a medium bowl. Wipe the saucepan clean.
2. Lower the heat to medium and melt the butter in the saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thick, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato-onion mixture back to the saucepan along with ¼ cup|60 ml cold water. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir in the ketchup and sugar and season with salt. Cook until thick, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Make the cheesy rice: Heat the oven to broil. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium. Add the vinegar and honey and stir to combine, then add the rice. Cook, stirring, until combined, then season with salt and pepper. Stir in the Mexican cheese and cook until melted, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Place the rice in an 10-inch oven-proof skillet (alternatively, divide among four 10-ounce ramekins). Spoon the tomato sauce over the rice and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over the top. Cook until golden and bubbling, about 3 minutes, then serve.

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