Smoky rice pudding with pomegranate molasses

The perfect winter pudding, or indeed an indulgent breakfast! Rice pudding has its roots firmly in comfort-pudding territory, but sometimes it can be a little too stodgy. My version is quite light, and the pomegranate molasses adds a sweet-sour tang to cut through the sweet, milky pudding. I like to use Spanish Calasparra rice for a great, nutty texture – it’s available in some supermarkets and online. But, failing that, a good-quality short-grain pudding rice will do well.

Serves 6

You’ll also need a sturdy, heavy-based ovenproof saucepan or ceramic dish and a lump of hardwood

300g (1½ cups) Calasparra rice or short-grain pudding rice

1 vanilla pod (bean), split and seeds removed

2 cinnamon sticks

zest of 1 orange, peeled off in fine strips

zest of 1 lemon, peeled off in strips

175g (1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar

1.5L (6¼ cups) full-cream (whole) milk

2 Tbsp pomegranate molasses

Light the barbecue and set for direct/indirect cooking. Add the lump of wood to the ashen charcoal to start smoking.

Combine all the ingredients, except the pomegranate molasses, in the dish. Place in the indirect heat zone, close the lid of the barbecue and cook slowly for 30 minutes. Top up with about 200ml (¾ cup) of water and stir well before cooking for a further 30 minutes. When it is ready the pudding should be thick and creamy and the rice grains just tender.

Serve the rice pudding immediately, drizzled with pomegranate molasses.