French Custard Rice Pudding

This is s super simple recipe made with ingredients easily ready at a moment’s notice. I use a sushi rice as it has short, rounder grains that swell up nicely in the milk. It keeps well in the fridge and is a favorite after-school snack for one of my twin boys. It is easy to dress up with fruit and extra whipped cream or serve it as it is. Enjoy!

   
Rice Mixture
1/2 cup rice (I use a Japanese sushi rice from Nishiki that has small round grains).
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt (I think that all desserts need a pinch of salt to bring out their flavors)
4 cups of milk (I use 2% but whole milk works as well)

Custard Mixture
2 egg yolks
3 tbsp white sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream (not whipped)
1 tsp vanilla

Heat the milk with the sugar, vanilla, rice and pinch of salt until it boils. NOTE: I don’t rinse my rice first but it doesn’t hurt to do it. Watch it carefully as it can make a mess of your stove if you forget (yes, a big mess!) and sometimes wastes the ingredients. For recipes like this, I use my oven timer and set it for two minute intervals so even if I get distracted, I am gently reminded.

Once the mixture boils, turn down the heat to low and stir every 10 minutes for about 40 minutes. I also use my oven timer to remind me every 10 minutes.

Whisk together the custard ingredients. After 40 minutes, using a soup ladle, temper the egg mixture by adding spoonfuls of the hot rice mixture to the eggs, mixing well after each addition. Once you have added around half of the rice mixture, pour the custard mixture back into the pot and bring to a gentle boil, stirring often.

The mixture will thicken quickly. Turn off the stove and remove the pot from the burner. I stir the mixture a few times as it cools to keep a skin from forming on top of the pudding. Plastic wrap can be placed directly on top of the pudding to avoid the skin forming but I wait until the pudding cools a lot before I do that.

Other flavorings can be added to the pudding as it cooks—orange zest, cinnamon & raisins, chocolate—lots of options. I make a lovely warm peach compote that is yummy served on top.

It is lovely served warm but my son loves it cold. Plain or with fruit, it is always a delicious snack or dessert.