Oriz me spinaq dhe vezë në furrë

Ingredients for 4

• 250 g [approx. 1 1/4 cups] rice
• 500 g fresh spinach
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 green onions
• 40 ml [approx. 3 tbsp / 0.17 cup] olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 700 ml [approx. 3 cups] warm vegetable broth or water
• 1 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp ground black pepper
• 100 g crumbled djathë i bardhë [Albanian white cheese / feta]
• 2 tbsp finely chopped dill
• 4 fresh eggs

Method

1. Preparing the vegetables. Clean the spinach well with plenty of cold water, dry it, and cut it into wide strips. Finely chop the yellow onion, green onions, and garlic.
2. Sautéing the onion and spinach. In a deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the yellow onion and green onions with a pinch of salt, sautéing for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and spinach, stirring for 3 minutes until the spinach wilts.
3. Adding the rice and seasonings. Rinse the rice under running water and drain it well. Add the rice to the skillet with the spinach, add the remaining salt, black pepper, and chopped dill. Sauté everything together for 2 minutes so the rice absorbs the oil.
4. Transferring to a baking dish and adding liquid. Transfer the contents of the skillet into a medium-sized baking dish. Pour 700 ml [approx. 3 cups] warm vegetable broth over top and level the surface with a wooden spoon. Gently mix in the crumbled djathë i bardhë [Albanian white cheese].
5. Initial baking. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven at 200°C. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid and is almost tender.
6. Adding the eggs and final baking. Remove the baking dish from the oven and, using a spoon, make 4 small wells on the surface of the rice. Carefully crack one egg into each well. Return the baking dish to the oven and bake for another 8-10 minutes until the egg whites are fully set and have reached a safe temperature above 70°C, while the yolks remain softly cooked.