Danish Food, My Way - Ris a l'amande (Creamed Rice)

I need some hygge today.  I need a hyggelig feel around me.  Time to light some candles and find some comfort food, like a big bowl of creamed rice.
Why don't you get your saucepan out too, join me in the hygge!

When I started posting recipes on this blog, Sis reminded me that one of my "signature" family puds is creamed rice.  Although the "posh" version with cherries is in effect the Danish Ris a l'amande, my recipe originally came from my Mum in the 70s and started out as an economical way of making creamed rice, i.e. without expensive cream.  I've fancified it over the years with the cream etc.

This is not cake-making so no scientific measurements are required.  It's a failproof pud.  It's somehow light and refreshing and, similar to trifle - even when you don't think you can't face a pud after mains it's surprising how well this one goes down.

I kept a big bowl of this in the fridge for after-school refuelling, back in the day, as keeps in the fridge for several days.  These days it's an ideal pud to make in advance when entertaining so I can fully concentrate on prettying myself up on party day!

So now, dear readers, I give you Creamed Rice, Two Ways.

Mum's Everyday Creamed Rice with Cinnamon Sugar

 

Ingredients

For the rice:
1 cup of round-grain pudding rice, rinsed and drained
Approx 1 litre milk, I use semi-skimmed
2 eggs
salt and water
sugar to taste
1-2 teaspoons (tspns) vanilla extract

For the cinnamon sugar:
Approx 1 cup of castor sugar
1-2 tspns ground cinnamon

Stage 1

Place the rice in a pan and cover well with water.  Bring to the boil and simmer until the water has been absorbed.

Whilst this is cooking, make up the cinnamon sugar by mixing about 1 cup of castor sugar with 1-2 tspns ground cinnamon.  Place in a container and leave to one side.

Add about 3/4 of the 1 litre milk carton and a little salt, maybe quarter to half a tspn.

Bring gently to the boil, stirring quite frequently.

Take care that it doesn't spill over the pan!

Turn the heat down to simmer.

Continue to simmer until all the milk has absorbed into the rice, stirring frequently to prevent the pan sticking.   The process should take about 20-25 mins.  Taste the rice, it needs to be soft and definitely not al dente!  Add more milk, as necessary.  You want to end up with a creamy sludge, not stiff and not swimming in milj, and you will probably find you use up the whole litre carton to achieve this.

Add the castor sugar to taste, together with the vanilla extract.  The rice needn't be too sweet as the sweet topping will definitely add to the overall sweetness.

Leave the rice to cool to room temperature.

Stage 2

Whilst the rice simmers, separate the whites from the yolks of the eggs.  Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks and leave to one side.

When the rice has cooled to room temperature, blend in the egg yolks, then gently fold in the egg whites.  You should end up with a light creamy mixture.  Place in fridge to cool.

Serve with the cinnamon sugar, which is sprinkled on the individual portions to preference.

My Fancified Rice/Ris a l'amande

(Served traditionally in Danish homes on Christmas Eve)

Ingredients

For the rice:

1 cup of round-grain pudding rice, rinsed and drained

Approx 1 litre milk, I use semi-skimmed

salt and water

sugar to taste, about 3-4 tablespoons

1-2 tspns vanilla extract

284 ml pot double cream

For the topping:

1 jar of whole preserved cherries in syrup, preferably, or

1 can of Morello cherries and a jar good cherry jam, used to taste

Toasted flaked almonds

Method

Cook the rice as per Stage 1

Whilst the rice is cooking, whisk the cream to soft peaks.

When at room temperature, gently fold the cream into the rice and place in the fridge to chill.

When chilled, serve the rice topped with cherries and sprinkled with the almonds.

If using the canned cherries and jam:

Drain the cherry liquid into a bowl..  Add half to 1 whole jar of the jam, blended into the liquid.  Warm in the microwave for 2-3 minutes so that the jam dissolves, bar any fruit lumps.

Taste.  It will taste quite sweet but the rice should offset nicely.

Serve the chilled rice in individual portions with the cherry topping and almonds flakes strewn  over.

Velbekomme!

A la perchoine.