Arroz con leche (rice pudding) with cherries and rompope (eggnog)
“Mexican rice pudding is a classic dessert served all over the country, either after a meal or in the early afternoon. In the east, it’s also served hot in the mornings or as dinner on cold days. The mixture of cinnamon and raisins adds spice and aroma, while the whole milk creates the characteristic creamy texture of the dish. Lots of recipes also add condensed milk for an even denser consistency. In this recipe, I’ve added mezcal to give it a smoky finish and cherries. Rompope is a creamy, sweet liqueur that originated in convents during colonial times. It's traditionally made from rum and milk, and flavoured with cinnamon.”
This recipe is adapted from Mexican Soul: A New Style of Cooking by Santiago Lastra (£30, Quadrille Publishing Ltd).
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 250ml of water
- 1 cinnamon stick, or 2g ground cinnamon, plus extra to serve
- 1 lemon peel, or orange peel
- 100g of short grain rice, (pudding rice or arborio), washed
- 750ml of whole milk
- 80g of caster sugar
- 1 pinch of sea salt flakes
ROMPOPE
- 250ml of whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large egg yolks
- 50g of caster sugar
- 1 pinch of fine salt
- 25ml of mezcal, or rum
- cherries, halved and destoned, to serve
Method
First, make the rompope. Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, then remove the pan from the heat and leave to rest for 5 minutes until cooled to below 50°C
- 250ml of whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a bowl until slightly thickened, then add the salt and mix again
- 3 large egg yolks
- 50g of caster sugar
- 1 pinch of fine salt
Slowly pour the warm milk into the whisked eggs, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling
Return the mixture to the pan and stir over a low heat until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Be careful not to bring it to a high simmer (keep it under 70°C). Remove from the heat and stir in the mezcal, then strain through a sieve and keep warm
- 25ml of mezcal, or rum
Now, make the rice pudding. Put the water, cinnamon and lemon or orange peel into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the rice and simmer until the water is absorbed. This will take around 6-8 minutes if using pudding rice or around 8-10 minutes for arborio
- 250ml of water
- 1 cinnamon stick, or 2g ground cinnamon
- 1 lemon peel, or orange peel
- 100g of short grain rice, (pudding rice or arborio), washed
Add the milk and salt and simmer over a low heat for 20-25 minutes, if using pudding rice, or 25-30, if arborio, stirring constantly until thick and creamy
- 750ml of whole milk
- 1 pinch of sea salt flakes
Add the sugar and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is glossy. Remove the pan from the heat and remove the cinnamon stick and peel. You can stir the rompope through the rice at this point or you can serve it warm on the side. Serve the rice hot with the cherries on top and a little cinnamon grated or sprinkled over
- 80g of caster sugar
- cherries, halved and destoned, to serve
- 1 cinnamon stick, or ground cinnamon, extra to serve
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