Courgette, Rice & Beef Bake

📝 Ingredients

• 4 courgettes (about 250 g each)
• 300 g minced beef, 15% fat
• 150 g long-grain rice
• 3 eggs
• 80 g grated Emmental
• 1 brown onion (about 120 g) + 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp olive oil (2 tsp for the pan, 1 tsp for the dish)
• 2 tsp herbes de Provence
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Coarse grater
• Large mixing bowl
• Saucepan + colander
• Large frying pan
• Spatula
• Baking dish (about 20 × 30 cm)

📖 Steps

1. Wash the courgettes, trim the ends and grate them on the coarse side of the grater. Mix them in the large mixing bowl with 1 tsp salt and leave for 15 min: the salt will draw out their water.
2. Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the rice for 1 min less than the packet time (about 10 min), as it will finish cooking in the oven. Drain it in the colander and leave to cool slightly.
3. Preheat the oven to 190 °C. Finely slice the onion and chop the garlic. Heat 2 tsp oil in the large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion for 4 min until translucent, then add the garlic and cook for 30 s.
4. Add the minced beef, turn the heat up to high and break it up with the spatula for 5 min, until no longer pink and starting to brown. Add the herbes de Provence, season with pepper and just 2 pinches of salt (the courgettes are already salted) and leave to cool slightly off the heat.
5. Squeeze the courgettes hard in handfuls over the sink to get out as much water as possible: that's the secret to a bake that isn't swimming in liquid. Discard the water, wipe the bowl and put the squeezed courgettes back in.
6. Crack the eggs over the courgettes and beat them directly in the bowl, then add the rice, meat and half the Emmental and mix well. Grease the dish with the rest of the oil, pour in the mixture and press it down with the back of a spoon.
7. Sprinkle with the rest of the Emmental and bake for 35 min at 190 °C, until the top is golden and the centre feels firm to the touch: a knife inserted in the centre should come out with no liquid. Leave to rest for 10 min before cutting.