Soft, creamy rice pudding, slowly cooked in milk with lemon zest and a cinnamon stick, with an ornate cinnamon pattern over the smooth top. A beloved, simple Portuguese dessert that appears on the table in almost every household at Christmas and Easter.
Arroz doce
Arroz doce
Method
01
Parboil the rice
Bring the water to the boil with a pinch of salt and parboil the rice in it for 5 minutes. Drain.
02
Heat the milk
Heat the milk with the lemon zest and the cinnamon stick in a wide pan until almost boiling.
03
Cook the rice
Add the parboiled rice to the warm milk. Turn the heat low and, stirring regularly, cook gently for 20–25 minutes until the rice is very soft and the mixture is thick and creamy.
04
Add the sugar
Stir in the sugar and simmer gently for another 5 minutes.
05
Thicken with the egg yolks
Take the pan off the heat and remove the lemon zest and cinnamon stick. Beat the egg yolks with a splash of the warm rice pudding, then stir this back into the pudding, stirring all the while. Return to a very low heat and heat, stirring, for another 2 minutes until lightly thickened; do not let it boil again.
06
Spoon out
Spoon the rice pudding into a large dish or individual bowls and smooth the top.
07
Finish
Once the pudding has cooled completely, dust with cinnamon in a decorative pattern.
08
Serve
Serve at room temperature or lightly chilled.
Tips & notes
Stir regularly while the rice cooks; otherwise the pudding quickly catches on the bottom because of the amount of milk and sugar. Only sprinkle the cinnamon pattern once the pudding has cooled completely and formed a skin; that way the design stays nice and sharp. Do not leave the rice pudding at room temperature for more than 1 hour; then put it in the fridge and keep it for a maximum of 2 days.
Variations
- Add a piece of orange zest alongside the lemon zest for extra citrus depth.
- Replace part of the milk with coconut milk for a creamier, tropical twist.
Contains:
Eggs
Milk
| Calories | 279 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 41 g |
| Fat | 9 g |
| Fibre | 0 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
