Creamy Portuguese Rice Pudding
By: Ruth
Published: Thursday, December 10, 2009 - 5:52pm

Ingredients




50 grams (9 oz.) long-grain rice
300 grams (10 oz.) sugar
Zest of 3-4 lemons

1 litre (4 cups) milk
6 egg yolks
small A  pinch of salt
1 cinnamon stick + ground cinnamon
100 grams (6 tbsp.) butter
Vanilla

Preparation

1 Place the rice in a saucepan and cover with lots of water; let boil for 8 minutes; drain in a sieve; 2 Return the rice to the saucepan; 3 Add the milk, butter, vanilla and sugar; add the lemon zest when the mixture first begins to bubble; 4 Let cook over low heat for 20 minutes with the cinnamon stick; 5 Turn off the heat; 6 Add the egg yolks and the salt; 7 Stir well while the heat of the rice cooks the egg yolks; 8 Pour into a shallow dish; decorate with powdered cinnamon; serve hot or cold

About


Sweet and very comforting...
In Portugal rice is practically indigenous, and because this dessert is inexpensive and easy to make, Arroz doce, or rice pudding is a part of every festival, wedding, communion and family celebration. There is also a variation, made in the same way but using vermicelli, which is called Aletria.
You often see the dessert meticulously decorated with powdered cinnamon which adorns the surface of the dessert. Arabesques, birds, letters of the alphabet and cabalistic signs are just a few of the motifs commonly used, depending on the whim of the cook.