Vanilla rice pudding with poached pears

Begin by poaching the pears. Pour the water, sugar, star anise and clove into a saucepan and bring to the boil. While you wait, peel, core and cut the pears into wedges. Cut a sheet of baking paper into a circle just big enough to cover the surface of the liquid (this is called a cartouche) and cut a small hole in the centre

Once the poaching liquid is boiling, add the pears, then cover the pan with the cartouche, ensuring the paper touches the surface of the liquid. Gently simmer the pears for 10-25 minutes, until tender throughout – the time needed will depend on the ripeness and size of the pears. Leave them to cool in the liquid

To make the rice pudding, bring the milk, cream and sugar to the boil. Split open the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds into the milk, then throw the pod in too

Tip the rice into a good quality saucepan over a medium heat

Start adding the hot milk bit by bit, stirring regularly. As the rice begins to absorb the liquid keep adding more, keeping the heat at a gentle simmer. After around 40 minutes the rice should be tender, but keep tasting until you're happy with the texture and consistency (if you like an extra creamy rice pudding you may want to add a little more milk and/or cream)

While the rice pudding cooks, place a small, deep pan filled with vegetable oil over a high heat until it reaches around 200°C. Tip in the black rice – it should puff up almost immediately. Strain the rice out of the oil with a slotted spoon or fine sieve and drain on kitchen paper

To serve, divide the rice pudding between 4 bowls and top with a few wedges of pear. Garnish with the crisp rice and some lemon balm or lemon thyme