Old Fashioned Rice Pudding
This is definitely a forgotten pudding and it’s unbelievable the reaction we get to it every time we make it at the Cookery School. It’s always the absolute favourite pudding at my evening courses. You need to use short-grain rice, which plumps up as it cooks.
100g(31⁄2oz) pearl rice (short-grain rice)
50g(2 oz/1/4 cup) sugar
small knob of butter
1.2 litres (2 pints/5 cups) milk
1 x1. 2 litre (2 pint) capacity pie dish (it’s important to have the correct size dish)
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4.
Put the rice, sugar and butter into a pie dish. Bring the milk to the boil and pour over. Bake for 1–1 1⁄2 hours. The skin should begolden, the rice underneath should be cooked through and have soakedup the milk, but still be soft and creamy. Time it so that it’s ready just in time for pudding. If it has to wait in the oven forages it will be dry and dull and you’ll wonder why you bothered.
Three good things to serve with rice pudding:
• Softly whipped cream and soft brown sugar
• Poached or stewed rhubarb
• Compote of sweet apples and rose geranium
Good to know – inexpensive to make, delicious and nourishing. Even if you never cooked anything before you can do this.
