Rice pudding

By: Frederik Bille Brahe

This creamy rice pudding is a lovely alternative to the classic Danish risalamande. Its tangy apple topping makes for an elegant contrast to the milky dessert. 

Rice pudding

100g risotto rice
Some butter
8dl whole milk
Lemon zest from 1 lemon
2 cardamom pods
1-2 tablespoons sugar or honey

Topping

1 handful of pistachios
1.3kg apples
140g sugar
1 bay leaf
Some olive oil
Lemon juice
Salt

Thoroughly rinse the rice in cold water twice.

Grease the bottom of a pot with butter and add the rice.

Heat the milk in a pan, adding the lemon zest and cardamom pods, then add the near-boiling milk to the rice, put the lid on and place the pot in a preheated oven. Bake for 1-1.5 hours at 150 degrees Celsius.

Peel and core the apples and place the flesh of the apples in a pot along with the bay leaf. Add a bit of water, put a lid on the pot and allow the apples to steam until completely tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Puree the apples using a whisk or a wooden spoon. Add sugar to the pot and let it simmer at low heat. Season with some lemon juice and salt.

Roast the pistachios on a dry skillet and allow to cool before crushing in a mortar. Once the rice is cooked and the pudding has taken on a lovely, thick consistency, remove the pot from the oven. Stir until even (add some milk if needed if it’s very thick) and season with sugar or honey.

Serve the rice pudding straight out of the oven or at room temperature with a spoonful of apple butter, a sprinkle of crushed pistachios and small drizzle of olive oil.