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Panna Cotta Rice Pudding

Source of Recipe

From "Short and Sweet" by Gale Gand and Julia Moskin


Recipe Introduction

"I think I've tried every possible way to make rice pudding. You can make it on the stove, in the oven, with or without eggs, with raw or cooked rice. This is the method I developed to make a light, not starchy rice pudding in which you can actually taste and feel the rice. The idea of using gelatin and cream is borrowed from panna cotta, a light Italian version of custard. Use any kind of dried fruit you have, and any kind of long-grain rice, such as Carolina, jasmine, or basmati. Short-grain rices, such as Arborio, are too starchy for this pudding."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ ¾ cup basmati or other long-grain rice
â—¦ 1 orange
â—¦ 2 cups milk
â—¦ 1 cup sugar
â—¦ 1 tablespoon unflavored dry gelatin
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
â—¦ 2 cups heavy cream, whipped
â—¦ ½ cup chopped dried plums, apricots, or raisins, plumped in boiling water and drained


Recipe

In a heavy saucepan, combine the rice with 1 ½ cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir, cover tightly (with a lid or foil), and turn down the heat as low as it will go. Cook for 20 minutes, then turn the heat off and let the rice sit for 5 to 10 minutes to allow it to absorb all the moisture evenly.

Meanwhile, using a sharp knife or vegetable peeler, peel the zest off the orange in wide strips, avoiding the white pith as much as possible. In a saucepan, heat the orange zest, milk, and sugar to a simmer and simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Sprinkle the gelatin over 1 tablespoon cold water and allow to soften. Turn off the heat. Add the gelatin to the hot liquid and whisk to dissolve the gelatin. Whisk the vanilla extract in.

Fill a large bowl with ice and cover the ice with cold water.
Pour the hot mixture into a medium-size metal or glass bowl. Rest the base of the bowl in the ice water. Chill, stirring often, until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove the orange zest. Fold in the whipped cream. Then fold in the rice and dried fruit. While the mixture is still soft, divide among serving cups or transfer to a serving bowl. Refrigerate until chilled and firm. (Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days).

Makes 6 to 8 servings