Leftover Rice Crust Pizza

📝 Ingredients

• 400 g cooked rice from the day before (about 135 g uncooked)
• 2 eggs
• 30 g grated Parmesan
• 150 g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove + 1 tsp dried oregano
• 3 slices of cooked ham (about 40 g each)
• 150 g button mushrooms
• 1 ball mozzarella (125 g)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Baking sheet
• Baking paper
• Mixing bowl
• Tablespoon
• Colander
• Pizza cutter or large knife

📖 Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 220 °C and line the baking tray with baking paper. In a mixing bowl, break up the cold rice with a fork, then add the beaten eggs, Parmesan, a pinch of salt and some pepper. Mix until every grain is coated.
2. Tip the mixture onto the tray and spread it with the back of a wet spoon into an even rectangle of about 30 × 35 cm and 5 mm thick, pressing down firmly: a base that's too thick won't crisp up, and one with holes will break.
3. Drizzle the surface with the oil, spread it with the back of the spoon and bake for 15 minutes, until the edges are golden and the base comes away from the paper. It should be firm to the touch: give it another 3 to 5 minutes if the centre is still soft.
4. Meanwhile, make the sauce: mix the chopped tomatoes with the crushed garlic, oregano, a pinch of salt and some pepper. If they're very runny, drain them in a sieve for 5 minutes so they don't make the base soggy.
5. Clean the mushrooms with damp kitchen paper rather than washing them under running water, and slice them thinly. Cut the ham into pieces and the mozzarella into small cubes, then drain the mozzarella on kitchen paper.
6. Take the base out of the oven, leaving the oven on. Spread the tomato sauce over it, leaving a 1 cm border, then scatter over the ham, mushrooms and mozzarella without overloading, so the base stays crisp.
7. Return to the oven for 8 minutes, until the mozzarella is melted and bubbling. Leave to rest for 2 minutes, then slide the pizza onto a board using the paper, cut it in half and cut each half into slices.