Spanish Rice Pudding | Arroz con leche Asturiano
I am still waiting to try a better rice pudding than the one we make in Spain. After having tried endless versions, I don’t think there is. In Asturias, in northern Spain they really pride on it and they have the best diary in the country to make it. It’s a very comforting pudding and warming when enjoyed hot. This one the first desserts I ever cooked with my mum as a kid, I am a big fan as you can imagine. The caramelised crispies is a recipe frommy days working for the most creative chef, Ferrán Adriá.
INGREDIENTS
200g Spanish rice
2 litres full fat milk
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of ½ orange
1 tsp vanilla essence
220g caster sugar, plus extra for caramelising
1 cinnamon stick
FOR THE CARAMELISED CRISPIES
40g rice crispies
40g caster sugar
1 pinch of cinnamon powder
10g butter
1 Place a medium size saucepan over low heat, pour the milk, the lemon and orange zest (white pith removed), vanilla essence, cinnamon stick and bring it to nearly boiling point. Turn of the heat, cover with cling film and let it infuse for 30 minutes.
On a separate pot over low heat, melt the butter and add the rice. Fry it for 1 minute while stirring. Place a sift over the pot and pour the milk, one ladle at a time, waiting for the milk to be absorbed by the rice between each ladle that you add. It should take you about 30 minutes but when you are nearing the end of the milk, just add the last 2 ladles in one go to finish it off and add the sugar.
Stir for 3 more minutes and turn off the heat. Continue to stir every so often as it cools down, this will help to give it the creamiest of textures.
Place a wide frying pan over medium heat, add the sugar and let it turn into a light golden caramel. Add the butter and stir it in for 1 minute. Turn off the heat when the caramel is dark golden and stir in the cinnamon powder and crispies, stirring constantly until every grain of crispies is fully coated. Pour them into some parchment paper and carefully, without burning your fingers, spread them so you don’t get a big handful of stuck caramelised crispies.
Traditionally we either sprinkle a bit of cinnamon powder over our bowl of rice pudding or we would caramelise some sugar over the top with the help of a torch. If you have done the caramelised crispies you can just sprinkle them over the top and enjoy!
