Rice Pudding with Summer Strawberries
Until last summer, I didn’t like rice pudding; I associated it with cafeteria food, invalid fare meant for the very young or the very old. And then, around the solstice, a heat wave coincided with peak strawberry season. Turning the oven on was out of the question, but that also meant that the usual run of strawberry season classics, like pie and shortcake, were also out of the question. Faced with a quart of perfectly ripe berries, I suddenly found myself craving a cool cloud of rice pudding draped in juicy fruit. It was better than I could have imagined, and I wondered what I had been missing all those years.
RECIPE:
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla paste or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cardamom pod, optional
- 8 oz heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- fruit of your choice
In a medium sauce pan, combine the rice, milk, water, syrup, vanilla, salt, and optional cardamom pod. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is simmering, then turn down to low and cook, stirring, for about 40 minutes, or until the rice is very tender, but still holds its shape. Add more liquid if it begins to dry out.
Chill for at least two hours.
An hour before serving, whip the cream and sugar until soft peaks form. Gently fold the cream into the rice until it’s completely incorporated.
Refrigerate until ready to serve, then top with berries, left whole if very small, or otherwise cut into halves or quarters. Taste your berries and dress them accordingly. Perhaps they need nothing. Or maybe they would benefit from a tiny pinch of sugar and a drizzle of a fruity vinegar to perk them up. If it’s not strawberry season, try any perfectly ripe seasonal fruit.
Eat in the shade on a hot day!
