Arroz con costra – rice and meat with an egg crust

Prepare a wide metal skillet about 30 cm across and at least 5 cm deep, suitable for both the stovetop and oven. Check that its handle is ovenproof too. Preheat the oven to 180°C with conventional top and bottom heat. Cut the chicken into 2–3 cm pieces and both sausages into pieces about 2 cm long, leaving the edible casings on. Finely chop the tomato with its skin and seeds, keeping all the juice. Chop the garlic and parsley separately. Weigh the water and divide the salt as listed in the ingredients.

Heat all 40 g olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the white and red sausages, spreading the pieces in a single layer. Brown for about 5–6 minutes, turning, until lightly colored. Transfer to a plate with a spoon; they will cook further with the rice and in the oven. Keep all the fat in the skillet and all the released juices on the plate.

Add the chicken to the same skillet and brown for 6–8 minutes, turning the pieces. Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, then add all the chopped tomato and its juice. Cook for another 4–5 minutes, until the tomato softens into a thicker sauce base. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom, but do not pour off any fat or juice. Browning is only the first stage of cooking the meat.

Rub the saffron threads between your fingers and add them to the skillet with 6 g salt. Pour in all the weighed water. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. The lid will limit evaporation before the rice is added. Keep all the liquid in the skillet, without straining, skimming off fat or adding any extra stock.

Remove the lid and add all the uncooked rice, without rinsing or precooking it. Spread it evenly between the pieces of meat, then do not stir again. Cook uncovered for 8 minutes over moderate heat, so the liquid bubbles gently across the surface. The rice should still be distinctly undercooked; it will finish cooking in the oven. Arrange both sausages on top and pour in all the juices reserved on the plate. Do not drain off the remaining liquid.

Toward the end of the rice cooking time, crack all the eggs into a bowl. Add the remaining 2 g salt and all the chopped parsley. Whisk until the yolks and whites combine and a light foam appears on the surface. Do not separate the whites and do not beat them into stiff peaks. Take the skillet off the heat and immediately pour in all the egg mixture, covering the hot rice, chicken and sausages evenly. Do not stir the eggs into the rice.

Carefully place the skillet without its lid on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake for about 15–20 minutes, until the egg topping is set, slightly risen and golden, and the rice is cooked. Check near the edge that no hard rice centers or liquid egg remain. If the rice needs longer, loosely cover the browned top with foil and bake for a few more minutes. The chicken and raw sausages must be fully cooked before serving; extend the baking time if needed.

Once out of the oven, set the skillet on a trivet and leave the dish for 5 minutes without covering it. Take care with the hot handle. Divide everything into six portions, scooping up rice and meat with a piece of egg crust. Serve immediately, without any extra ingredients. Quickly divide leftovers among shallow containers and refrigerate within an hour; eat within 24 hours and reheat only once, until the entire portion is hot.