Makes: About 4 servings
Time: About 2 hours, mostly unattended
Like many comfort foods, rice pudding is simple to make and adaptable to your whims. This version is cooked entirely in the oven, so all you need to do is stir it occasionally. (For a more traditional stovetop version, see page 328.) Long-grain rice like basmati or jasmine will deliver the most delicate texture and fragrance, while short- or medium-grain rice like Arborio will be more thick and chewy, like risotto. Substitute any nondairy milk if you prefer or replace some or all of the milk with half-and-half or cream for a richer pudding.
1. Heat the oven to 300°F. Stir all the ingredients together in a 3- or 4-quart baking dish or ovenproof saucepan. Bake for 30 minutes, then stir. Bake for 30 minutes longer; at this point the rice may have started to swell and the milk should be developing a bubbly skin. Stir again to incorporate.
2. Bake for 30 more minutes. The pudding is almost done when the rice predominates the mixture and the skin becomes more visible and darker. Stir the skin back into the rice, return the mixture to the oven, and check every 10 minutes, stirring gently each time.
3. The pudding will be done before you think it’s done. The rice should be really swollen and the milk thickened considerably but still pretty fluid; the milk will thicken while it cools. Stir it once more, which helps release the rice’s starch and thicken the milk. Serve warm or at room temperature or cover with plastic wrap (press it directly on the pudding’s surface if you want to prevent a skin from forming) and serve it cold.
SAFFRON RICE PUDDING Stir a pinch of saffron threads into the rest of the ingredients before baking. If you like, add a teaspoon of rose water after cooking.
KHEER This Indian dessert is sometimes made with vermicelli noodles instead of rice: Melt 1 tablespoon butter or ghee in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ½ cup broken-up vermicelli noodles and toast until golden (don’t walk away; it goes quickly). Decrease the milk to 3 cups and add it along with ½ teaspoon ground cardamom and a pinch of saffron if you like. Bring to a boil, stir in the sugar, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, until the milk has thickened but is still fluid, 35 to 45 minutes. Stir in ½ cup chopped toasted pistachios (see page 57).
MANGO RICE PUDDING Very Thai; I love this: Replace the milk with coconut milk; stir 1 cup of chopped fresh mango into the mix after about 1 hour of cooking.
RICOTTA-HONEY RICE PUDDING Decrease the milk to 2½ cups and add 2 cups of fresh ricotta (no need to drain it first). Substitute honey for the sugar. Proceed with the recipe.
RUM RAISIN RICE PUDDING Combine the ingredients with ¼ cup rum before baking. Cook as directed. Stir ½ cup of raisins into the pudding as soon as you remove it from the oven.
CHOCOLATE RICE PUDDING Finely chop 2 ounces dark chocolate and stir it into the cooked pudding until it melts. Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
RICE PUDDING BRûlée When you’re ready to serve the pudding, heat the broiler, placing the rack so the pudding dish will be 2 or 3 inches from the heat. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar in a thin layer over the pudding, then broil it until the sugar melts and blackens a bit, about 5 minutes. Serve within an hour.
7 Simple Add-ins for Any Rice Pudding