Rhubarb Rice Pudding

Chef

Sophie Dahl

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Cookbook

Very Fond of Food: A Year of Recipes

Published by Ten Speed Press

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This image courtesy of Jan Baldwin

I used to pick rhubarb in my granny Gee-Gee’s garden when I was about seven, with a bowl of sugar clutched in my fat little hand. The trick was to lick the rhubarb, dip it in the sugar, and crunch away. I would always do it to excess, which was a surefire way to aching guts, and Gee-Gee clucking over me with some milk of magnesia. Prepared this way, you have all the joy without the pain, and if you have access to a bumper crop, follow Mrs. Beeton’s example and make some jam.

Serves2

CostInexpensive

Easy

Total Timeunder 1 hour

OccasionCasual Dinner Party

Recipe CourseDessert

Dietary ConsiderationEgg-free, Gluten-free, Halal, Kosher, Peanut Free, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

MealBrunch, Dinner

Taste and TextureCreamy, Sweet, Tart

Type of DishDessert, Pudding

Ingredients

4 cups (1 liter) milk, plus more as needed
¾ cup (150 g) basmati rice
1 cinnamon stick
¼ cup (80 g) agave nectar or honey
1 teaspoon orange flower water
12 ounces (350 g) rhubarb, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) lengths
½ cup (125 ml) water
1 star anise
1 teaspoon rose water
2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey

Instructions

First, make the rice pudding. Pour the milk and rice into a medium-sized saucepan, add the cinnamon stick, bring to a boil, and then simmer over very low heat, stirring frequently, for around 30 minutes. At this point, stir in the agave or honey and orange flower water and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, adding more milk if the pudding starts looking dry.
In a separate heavy-bottomed saucepan, place the rhubarb, water, star anise, rose water, and agave or honey. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for about 10 minutes, turning once or twice, until you have a lovely tender pink softness. Plate the rice pudding and swirl the rhubarb through.