Rice Pudding is one of those dishes that exists in endless varieties - all of them pretty much the same. Some add cardamom for a hint of the orient; others add egg for extra luxurious eggyness. Somehow they all retain a comforting familiarity.
But comfort food is for the nursery. Grown-ups should require something more complex, more challenging.
Adding complexity to something sweet and starchy isn't that easy. Sugar will easily overwhelm the cleverest constructions.
This recipe adds a the citrusy bitterness of orange-peel and the tricky edge of
caramel to bring Rice Pudding into adulthood.
Ingredients
The peel of 1/4 orange, finely diced
100g butter
100ml water
100g sugar
100g long grain rice
2 pints milk
Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pan and add the orange peel and the water. Simmer for 30 minutes till the water has evaporated.
Add the sugar and heat gently until it starts to colour, stirring all the time so that the peel doesn't burn.
Add the rice and toast in the caramel for a minute, stirring all the time.
Now add the cold milk and simmer gently for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. The milk should be almost completely absorbed, leaving a rich, creamy pudding.
Serve immediately, or leave to cool in the pan.
If you re-heat the pudding, add more milk to get back to a creamy consistency.
Comments