Rice pudding with strawberries and puffed rice
This classic British pudding is served here with rosé-soaked strawberries and cinnamon-flavoured puffed rice.
Ingredients
For the rice pudding
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú salted butter
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 vanilla pod, split
- 150²µ/5½´Ç³ú pudding rice
- 130g/4¾oz light brown sugar
- 1.5 litres/2¾ pints full-fat milk
- 200–250ml/7–9fl oz double cream
For the strawberries
- 500ml/18fl oz rosé wine
- 1 vanilla pod, split
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú caster sugar
- 10 large ripe strawberries, hulled
For the puffed rice
- vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 tbsp uncooked wild rice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp caster sugar
Method
To make the rice pudding, heat the butter, cinnamon and vanilla pod in a large frying pan and cook until the butter browns. Add the rice and sugar and stir well to coat. Pour in the milk and double cream (add more or less cream depending how creamy you like your rice pudding) and bring to a simmer. Cover with a cartouche (a circle of greaseproof paper) and simmer very gently for around 1½ hours until cooked through and thickened.
To make the strawberries, pour the wine, vanilla and sugar into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes before adding the strawberries. Turn the heat off, cover with a cartouche and leave the strawberries to cool in the liquid. Remove half of the cooking liquor and reduce by half until syrupy.
To make the puffed rice, heat a shallow layer of oil (approximately 1cm/½in) in a small saucepan to 180C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Add the rice and fry for a few minutes until the rice grains swell and puff up. Mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl. Drain the rice in a metal sieve and dust with the cinnamon sugar.
To serve, spoon the rice pudding into a serving bowl, top with the strawberries, scatter over the puffed rice and spoon the strawberry liquor over the top.