Saturday, July 30, 2011

Roast Rhubarb and Rice Pudding

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I really, really like rice pudding. It reminds me of growing up in Perth, with its deliciously cold winters (well, cold by my standards). It was one of those things that mum seemed to just whip up in no time...though now that I’ve made it myself, I fear that this ‘whipping up’ was all in my head.

I decided to combine the rice pudding with rhubarb, to cut through the creaminess a little. And also because I’ve never cooked with rhubarb before and I desperately wanted to, so when I saw it at the local store, I snapped it up faster than you can say ‘Look! Rhubarb!’

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Roast Rhubarb:

6 stalks rhubarb

Handlful of red berries (I used raspberries and strawberries)

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp orange zest

2 tbs honey

1. Preheat oven to 280˚C.

2. Peel and chop the rhubarb. (My boyfriend, the apprentice chef, tells me it’s important to peel it as if you don’t, it can be quite stringy. Unfortunately, if you do, you also lose a little bit of that lovely red colour. So that’s why I threw in some red fruit!)

3. Put the rhubarb and berries into a roasting pan.

4. Sprinkle over with sugar and orange zest, and then pour over honey.

5. Cook until soft (for me this took 30 minutes)

Rice Pudding:

1 cup rice, preferably medium grain.

2.5 cups milk (I used skim milk)

4 tbs honey, or sugar to taste.

2 tsp vanilla.

1. Cook the rice according to packet instructions.

2. When rice is cooked, add in the milk, honey and vanilla and leave to simmer on medium heat, stirring often until the milk is absorbed.

3. Allow to cool before handling.

Assembly:

1. Spoon rice into glasses or bowls

2. Top with roast rhubarb mixture.

I also roasted some pistachios and added them too, for a little bit of crunch.

This recipe makes about four, but I suppose it does depend on what size glasses you chose to serve the puddings in!

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I loved the combination of rice and rhubarb, and couldn’t stop eating either out of their various cooking pots. On the downside, the recipe doesn’t keep very well, so I suggest that if you are pressed for time, only make the rhubarb ahead as the rice tends to become grainy and loses its creaminess in the fridge.

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9 comments:

  1. Your pudding looks gorgeous. I love the contrast of the red rhubarb and the white rice. I love your photo of the chopped rhubarb too.

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  2. @Jennifer (Delicieux)

    Thanks Jennifer! It was a pretty gorgeous looking dish, especially in its prime. Unfortnately these photos were taken after a few days sitting in the fridge..oh dear!

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  3. Oh my, I LOVE roasted rhubarb. I couldn't believe how good it was the first time I tried it. It takes some of the tartness and slightly odd aftertaste away. Lovely dessert :)

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  4. @Poires au Chocolat
    That's exactly it! I'd only had rhbarb a few times before, but each time I remember thinking 'what the...?' at the weird after taste. I guess thats why I was so hesitant to cook with it! Bt this trned out really good! :)

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  5. Looks very delicious! I've been making a lot of rice puddings lately, but I boil the rice directly in the milk (I use coconut & rice milk) and it's perfect every time. I use just 1 cup of water for 1 cup of rice until it starts to boil and then I start pouring the milk...

    The rhubarb idea is great though! Will try it soon :)

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  6. Roasted rhubarb reminds me of being a little girl - my mum was quite strict on puddings but it was one of the things she often made. I love the idea of making it into rice pudding. What a beautiful post.

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  7. @Nadia
    I think I shold have used your method! I remember that my mother sed to boil the rice in the milk itself, and I was trying to achieve a healthier version of hers, but I think it lost a little bit of its creaminess because of that. Next time though, I'll do it your way and see how that goes! :)

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  8. @thelittleloaf
    Thank you so much!
    I'm lucky that my mum was very 'Bosnian' when it came to desserts (pretty much, the sweeter, the better, the more, the merrier!), thogh I don't think it did very much for my health!

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