Karl’s Forbidden Rice Pudding

I keep a wide variety of rice in my pantry—Italian arborio, aged Indian basmati, Spanish Bomba, short grain Japanese rice, Thai Jasmine, Chinese red rice, American wild rice, as well as Californian jasmine and short grain brown rice. Jan has been loving my rice pudding, so when she suggested using Black rice I had it ready to hand. During imperial China, this rice was for the emperor alone.

Karl’s Forbidden Rice Pudding

Ingredients

¾ cup uncooked Black rice

2 eggs, beaten
½ cup half and half

2 cups low fat milk
1½ inch knob fresh ginger
¼ cup Karl’s Orange Infused Sugar
¼ tsp. Kosher salt

4 Tbs. butter
1 tsp. Mexican vanilla extract

Directions

1. Put the rice in a rice steamer with two cups of water and cook until done.

Tip: If you do not have a rice steamer, you may use a pot to cook your rice. However if you make rice more than twice  a month it is really worth the connivance—set it and forget it. You may buy a small one for less than $20.

Note: This is more than the usual amount of water, but you want the rice to be a bit over cooked.

2. While the rice is cooking, put the eggs into a measuring cup and beat them well.

Tip: Like many dishes, like lemon curd, rice pudding is simply a custard with things added—I like custard, so I keep adding more.

3. Blend the half cup of cream into the eggs and set the mixture aside.

4. Peel the ginger and crack it open by pounding it once hard with the flat side of a cleaver.

5. Put the two cups milk, ginger, the sugar and salt into a medium saucepan and bring it to a simmer.

6. Stir in the cooked rice and simmer, over medium low heat, until thickened, about 15-20 minutes.

Tip: Stir constantly and scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching.

Note: Rough handling releases more of the starch from the rice and makes for a creamer rice pudding.

7. Spoon some of the hot rice into the egg/milk mixture to temper it.

Tip: You want your eggs to turn into a custard, not scrambled eggs.

Note: I mix the eggs in a 2 cup measuring cup and then add a few tablespoons of hot rice at a time, mixing it in, before adding a few more for a total of about ¾ of a cup.

8. Stir the warmed egg mixture into the rice in the pot.

9. Continue cook, stirring roughly and constantly, for 8-10 more minutes, until thick and creamy.

10. Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in the butter and vanilla.

11. Serve warm.