CHOCOLATE RICE PUDDING

Serves 6

Every meal needs a little bit of chocolate.

After meeting Ferran Adrià some years ago, I became obsessed with his idea of creating a risotto that the guests put together themselves at the table. Of course, I had to give it my own twist, so we went with the idea of rice pudding. Instead of the creamy rice of the risotto, my version uses puffed rice.

We combine the puffed rice, fresh mint, and brûléed marshmallow fluff on a dish. Once the dish is on the table, we pour in warm chocolate milk and let our guests mix everything together to create their own chocolate pudding. It makes the diner part of the cooking process and allows them to have a little fun. This is also the best chocolate pudding you will ever taste.

Note: To make the puffed rice, we start with converted rice because it is soaked, steamed, and dried during processing, which gives a much more consistent result when frying.

PUFFED RICE:

Canola oil for frying

150 grams uncooked converted rice (such as Uncle Ben’s)

MARSHMALLOW FLUFF:

170 grams light corn syrup

110 grams sugar

30 grams water

70 grams (about 2 large) egg whites

HOT CHOCOLATE:

100 grams milk chocolate, chopped

300 grams whole milk

TO FINISH:

10 grams mint leaves, sliced thin

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:

Butane torch

PUFFED RICE:

Preheat a deep fat fryer or pot of oil on the stove to 400°F. If using a pot, fill no more than one-third of the way to the top to leave room for the rice to puff.

Line a sheet pan with paper towels to drain the puffed rice. Once the oil has reached 400°F, put 15 grams of raw rice in a medium fine-mesh strainer and slowly lower it into the hot oil. The rice will puff and triple in size after about 30 seconds. Transfer the puffed rice to the prepared sheet pan and lightly season with salt. Repeat in batches with the remaining rice until it has all been puffed. Once the puffed rice is completely cool, transfer it to a 1-quart container and leave it uncovered at room temperature until ready to serve. The rice will keep for several hours, as long as the kitchen isn’t too humid.

MARSHMALLOW FLUFF:

Combine the corn syrup, sugar, and water in a small saucepan and gently stir to dissolve the sugar. Set the pan over medium-low heat and do not stir to allow the sugar to crystallize. Let the mixture heat slowly to 240°F. Meanwhile, put the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk. When the sugar comes to temperature, remove from the heat. Begin whisking the egg whites on medium-high speed. When the whites form soft peaks, reduce the speed to low and, with the mixer still running, slowly drizzle in the hot sugar syrup in a steady stream along the side of the bowl. Once all the sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to high and whisk until the meringue resembles marshmallow fluff, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the fluff to a piping bag, using a rubber spatula to scrape all the fluff from the bowl. Close the top of the bag and keep it at room temperature until ready to plate, up to 3 hours. Extra Marshmallow Fluff may be transferred to a lidded container and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

HOT CHOCOLATE:

Put the milk chocolate in a small, deep bowl or 1-quart heatproof container. Put the milk in a medium saucepot set over medium heat and bring to 180°F. Immediately remove from the heat and pour the hot milk over the milk chocolate. Use an immersion blender at low speed to combine. Once the mixture is smooth and the chocolate is completely melted, pour the hot chocolate into a metal container and set it in a pot of 130°F water to keep warm.

TO FINISH:

Using a small ladle, transfer some of the hot chocolate into a small coffee cup. Place 25 grams of Puffed Rice into a small white bowl. Pipe a small- to medium-sized dot of Marshmallow Fluff in the center of the rice. Use a butane torch to caramelize the outside of the marshmallow. Add sliced mint to the bowl with the rice and fluff. Serve every guest 1 cup and 1 bowl, and have your guests pour the hot chocolate into the rice bowl. Let them mix everything together with a spoon to create a rice pudding consistency before eating.