How To Make Proper Rice Pudding – Recipe | Felicity Cloke

DThere are almost as many rice puddings here as there are spicy rice recipes. If you’re put off by that dazzling white, school dinner glob, fear not, this is a very luxurious baked dessert, gently spiced and finished with sweet wine and cream. It can be enjoyed hot or cold, on its own or with a spoonful of jarred fruit or some vivid pink spring rhubarb.

1 A note on the cooking pot

Preheat the oven to 160C (140C fan)/325F/Gas 3. Find a wide baking dish or an ovenproof dish large enough to hold 1.2 liters of liquid (if in doubt, fill the dish with water, then a measuring jug). Butter or grease the dish a little.

2 Melt the butter and sugar

Put the butter (or non-dairy alternative) on a medium heat and add the sugar (this is not a very sweet rice pudding because I like to serve it with fruit or jam, but increase the amount or replace it with white sugar or four tablespoons of honey, golden syrup or another sweetener). Stir to dissolve.

3 Add rice

Tip in the rice (pudding rice is a starchy short-grain rice that is usually available in canned rice pudding, custard, and supermarkets, but if you can’t find it, you can use risotto or paella rice instead, although it’s more expensive) and coat with butter and sugar.

4 Pour in the milk

Keep stirring until the rice becomes semi-translucent (but has not taken on any color) and starts to puff up a bit. Add milk (almond milk also works well here – in fact, medieval rice puddings are often made with it on fasting days; soy or coconut milk also works). Scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any stuck grains.

5 Add seasonings

Finely grate half a lemon, leaving the white pith; If unwaxed lemons (organic fruit are not waxed) are available, give them a good scrub in hot water first. Stir in the nutmeg, cinnamon and bay leaf, then scrape the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the pan; Drop in the empty pods as well.

6 Bake the rice pudding

Bring the milk to a very gentle boil, then add a pinch of salt and the wine, if using. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream. Pour the rice pudding mixture into a greased pan and bake for about two hours, but still slightly wobbly; Check it regularly at the end of the cooking time.

7 Service recommendations

Drain and let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving – like most dairy-based foods, the rice pudding is not served hot or at room temperature from the oven, the flavor is muted. Serve with seasonal fruit (like, for now, steamed rhubarb, sliced ​​citrus), jam, jarred or tinned fruit, or compote.

8 Variations on a Theme

Think of this recipe as a template, and you can vary it to taste. Substitute spices for ginger, saffron, cardamom, and vanilla for flower water, orange or lime juice, rum or whiskey for wine, dried fruit, crystallized Add ginger or citrus zest, nuts or cocoa nibs…you can’t go wrong.

9 If you like rhubarb…

At the same time to bake rhubarb, cut 500 grams into equal length pieces, cut off any brown ends, then wash. Arrange in a single layer in the bottom of a baking dish and sprinkle with two tablespoons of sugar or honey and a splash of water. Cover and bake for 35-45 minutes, until soft but not mushy.