The Amazing World of Rice (26 page)

Riz à l'Impératrice
is a classic French extravaganza made with rice, custard, lots of cream, and candied fruits soaked in cherry brandy that is stiffened with gelatin so that it can be unmolded from an elaborate mold and stand regally on the platter. The following is a simpler, but equally rich and delicious, interpretation of this classic.

¼ cup golden raisins

¼ cup diced (
¹
/
₈
-inch) candied citron (see Note)

¼ cup diced (
¹
/
₈
-inch) candied orange peel (see Note)

3 tablespoons kirsch, brandy, or rum

1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 cups whole milk

½ cup sugar

One 3 × ½-inch strip orange zest

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Custard

1 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of kosher salt

2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

¼ cup minced crystallized ginger

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Optional Garnishes

Whipped cream

10 to 20 thin slices candied citron, cut into ¼ × ¼-inch diamond shapes, optional

1 tablespoon chopped dried sour or sweet cherries

• 1.
  Combine the raisins, citron, candied orange peel, and kirsch in a small bowl; stir to mix. Cover and let stand for at least 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
  
• 2.
  Combine the rice, 8 cups water, and salt in a large saucepan; heat to a boil, stirring frequently so the rice doesn't stick. Simmer, uncovered, until the grains are split and very soft, about 20 minutes; drain. Rinse out the pan.
  
• 3.
  Combine the cooked rice, milk, sugar, orange zest, and cinnamon stick in the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium-low heat until the mixture is creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Add the vanilla. Refrigerate until very cold.
  
• 4.
  For the custard:
  Combine the milk, sugar, and salt in the top of a double boiler and heat, stirring, directly on the flame. Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl; gradually whisk in some of the hot milk mixture to temper them. Stir the yolk mixture into the remaining milk. Set the pan over the bottom part of the double boiler, filled with about 2 inches of simmering water, and cook, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens enough to lightly coat a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour through a sieve set over a 2-cup measure and let cool, stirring often. Add the vanilla and refrigerate, uncovered, until very cold.
  
• 5.
  To assemble the dessert, fold the cold custard into the (now very thick) rice mixture. Add the soaked fruits and the candied ginger; fold gently to blend. Gently fold in the whipped cream.
  
• 6.
  Spoon into a beautiful glass bowl and garnish with whipped cream, citron diamonds, and dried cherries, if desired.
  

NOTE:
For best-quality candied fruits buy them in bulk at Italian, Middle Eastern, or other specialty food shops.

If you are a banana fan, this pudding, bursting with the seductive taste and aroma of bananas, is for you. A halo of toasted coconut sprinkled on top is a nice accent.

4 large egg yolks

½ cup sugar

2 cups whole milk

2 cups cooked basmati rice

¼ cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup mashed medium-ripe banana, plus 1 cup sliced medium-ripe bananas

Ground cinnamon

Toasted coconut, optional

• 1.
  In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light in color. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a medium saucepan until small bubbles appear around the edges. Gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg yolks until thoroughly blended.
  
• 2.
  Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until the mixture thickens and begins to coat a metal spoon, about 10 minutes. Stir in the rice; cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until very thick, about 10 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream. Let cool, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla.
  
• 3.
  Pour into a bowl and refrigerate until very cold.
  
• 4.
  Just before serving, stir the mashed banana into the pudding until well blended. Then fold in the sliced bananas.
  
• 5.
  Spoon the pudding into small bowls. Lightly sprinkle with cinnamon and garnish with toasted coconut, if desired.
  

Sure to please even the most discriminating rice pudding aficionado, this heavenly but hearty dessert serves at least eight people.

¹
/
₃
cup golden raisins

2½ cups cooked medium-grain brown rice

4 cups whole milk

Pinch of kosher salt

½ cup pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Butter for the baking dish

¾ cup heavy cream

Ground cinnamon or freshly grated nutmeg

• 1.
  Place the raisins in a small heatproof bowl. Add boiling water to cover; let stand while you make the pudding.
  
• 2.
  Combine the rice, milk, and salt in a medium saucepan; heat to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring, over low heat for 30 minutes, or until very thick. Stir in the maple syrup; cook, stirring, for 15 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes.
  
• 3.
  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Stir the vanilla into the rice pudding. Drain the raisins. Generously butter a shallow 1½-quart baking dish or deep 10-inch pie plate. Spoon the rice mixture into the dish; smooth with the back of the spoon. Pour the heavy cream evenly over the top.
  
• 4.
  Bake until the cream is browned and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or chilled, sprinkled with cinnamon.
  

Eat this wonderful mixture of chewy wild rice and soft cooked short-grain brown rice for dessert with heavy cream and the garnish of dried apricots plumped in vanilla syrup, or fresh sliced apricots in season, and a dusting of freshly grated nutmeg. For breakfast, eat it from a cereal bowl, sprinkled with a few raisins and broken walnuts, or with heavy cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon or nutmeg, or with fresh sliced apricots or peaches. For a more elaborate dessert, fold in a cup of heavy cream, stiffly beaten, before spooning the pudding into stemmed glasses.

½ cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed with warm water and drained

½ cup uncooked short-grain brown rice

½ teaspoon kosher salt

3 cups whole milk

½ cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Freshly grated nutmeg or ground cinnamon

1 cup heavy cream, stiffly whipped, optional

Dried Apricots in Vanilla Syrup (recipe follows), optional

• 1.
  Combine the wild rice, brown rice, 3 cups water, and salt in a large saucepan; heat to a boil. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until almost all the liquid is absorbed, the wild rice has burst, and the brown rice is tender, 50 to 60 minutes.
  
• 2.
  Stir in the milk; heat to a boil. Cook, stirring, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent sticking, until the pudding is very thick, about 30 minutes.
  
• 3.
  Stir in the brown sugar and cook, stirring, until dissolved, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly; stir in the vanilla and nutmeg or cinnamon.
  
• 4.
  Serve the pudding warm, topped with the whipped cream and the apricots in syrup, if desired.
  

Dried Apricots in Vanilla Syrup

¼ cup sugar

½ cup packed dried apricot halves

1 cinnamon stick

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1.
  Combine 1 cup water and the sugar in a small saucepan. Heat to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the apricots and cinnamon stick. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, until the apricots are plump, adding more water if needed, until the syrup is thickened, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
  
• 2.
  Stir in the vanilla extract.
  

If mango is unavailable, use sweet ripe peaches or nectarines. Garnish the pudding with finely chopped toasted pistachios or sliced natural (skin-on) almonds. An optional garnish of toasted coconut adds crunch, sweetness, and that addictive flavor.

1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup whole-milk yogurt, plus more if needed

½ cup heavy cream

¹
/
₃
cup sugar, or to taste

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¹
/
₈
teaspoon pure almond extract

½ cup flaked sweetened coconut, optional

¼ cup chopped peeled pistachios or sliced natural (skin-on) almonds

2 cups diced peeled and pitted ripe mango, peaches, or nectarines

A little milk if needed

• 1.
  Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  
• 2.
  Combine 2½ cups water, the rice, and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat to a boil over high heat; stir once. Reduce the heat to low; cover and cook the rice until very soft and tender but still moist, about 25 minutes. Let stand, covered, off the heat for 5 minutes.
  
• 3.
  While the rice is cooking, whisk the yogurt, cream, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract in a bowl. Let stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.
  
• 4.
  Spread the coconut, if using, at one end of a baking sheet. Spread the pistachios at the other (or in the center). Bake until lightly toasted, 4 to 5 minutes. Let cool.
  
• 5.
  Add the hot rice to the yogurt mixture. Fold in the fruit. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with the toasted coconut and/or the pistachios. Add additional yogurt thinned with a little milk if the pudding gets too stiff upon standing.
  

A pudding that is reminiscent of everything exotic and seductive about India. Use imported basmati rice or a miniature basmati called
Kalijira
(or sometimes
gobindavog
).

Golden Cream

¼ teaspoon crumbled saffron threads

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon sugar

 

3 whole cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick

1 whole clove

½ teaspoon kosher salt

²
/
₃
cup imported basmati or Kalijira rice (see glossary) or Texmati or Kasmati rice

¼ cup dark raisins

1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk (see box)

1 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

½ cup flaked sweetened coconut

¼ to ½ cup heavy cream, or as needed

3 tablespoons chopped pistachios

• 1.
  For the cream:
  Place the saffron threads in a small heavy saucepan; heat just until the saffron takes on a slightly darker color, about 10 seconds. Add the cream and granulated sugar; heat until the cream boils. Immediately remove from the heat. Cover and let steep for 15 minutes.
  
• 2.
  Strain out the saffron and refrigerate the cream until chilled.
  
• 3.
  Combine 1½ cups water, the cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a medium saucepan; heat to a boil. Stir in the rice. Reduce the heat to low; cover and cook until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid.
  
• 4.
  Meanwhile, combine ½ cup boiling water and the raisins in a small bowl; let stand for about 15 minutes.
  
• 5.
  When the rice is cooked, stir in the coconut milk, whole milk, and brown sugar. Drain the raisins and add to the rice; heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low
  heat, stirring occasionally, until the pudding is very thick, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  
• 6.
  Add the coconut to the pudding. Add heavy cream as needed; stir gently to blend. Serve warm or at room temperature. The pudding will stiffen as it cools; add more heavy cream or milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin it to the desired consistency. Spoon into dessert dishes and drizzle each serving with golden cream. Sprinkle with the chopped pistachios.
  

This baked pudding uses cooked rice, canned coconut milk, and dried coconut. Don't confuse unsweetened dried coconut (sometimes called desiccated coconut) with the sweetened flaked or shredded coconut sold in the baking section of the supermarket. They are very different. Dried coconut is available in health-food stores and in markets where Asian ingredients are sold. Likewise, for the coconut milk. Buy unsweetened canned milk, used for making curries and other Asian-style dishes, not the cream of coconut milk used for making tropical drinks. Almost any type of rice can be used, although I prefer the aroma and texture of basmati or jasmine.

²
/
₃
cup uncooked basmati, jasmine, or long-grain white rice (see Note)

1 cinnamon stick

1 slice (¼-inch-thick) fresh ginger

½ teaspoon kosher salt

One 14½-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk (see headnote)

1½ cups (approximately) half-and-half (or half milk and half heavy cream)

2 large eggs

¹
/
₃
cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup unsweetened dried coconut (see headnote) Ground cinnamon

Coconut Cream Topping, optional

One 14½-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

½ cup heavy cream

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

1 to 2 cups diced, pitted (or seeded), and peeled mango, papaya, nectarines, or peaches, for garnish, optional

• 1.
  Heat 1½ cups water to a boil in a wide saucepan or deep skillet. Add the rice, cinnamon stick, ginger, and salt; stir once. Cover and cook over low heat until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover and let cool.
  
• 2.
  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set a 1½-to 2-quart shallow baking dish inside a larger baking pan. Set a kettle of water on to heat.
  
• 3.
  Empty the can of coconut milk into a 4-cup measure. Whisk to blend the top cream into the liquid coconut milk. Add enough half-and-half to measure 3 cups. Add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla; whisk until blended.
  
• 4.
  Remove the cinnamon stick and ginger from the rice. Spread the rice in the baking dish. Sprinkle the coconut evenly over the rice. Pour the egg mixture over the rice. Stir gently just to combine. Sprinkle the top evenly with ground cinnamon.
  
• 5.
  Set the larger baking pan in the oven on the center rack. Pour very hot water into the baking pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake until the pudding is set, about 1 hour.
  
• 6.
  Meanwhile, make the optional topping:
  Whisk the coconut milk, cream, and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  
• 7.
  Remove the baked pudding from the oven; let cool in the water bath. Serve warm or at room temperature. If desired, drizzle with the coconut cream topping and garnish with the fruit.
  

NOTE:
If using leftover cooked rice (about 1
¹
/
₃
cups), add 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger with the vanilla in Step 3.