• Yield: Makes 6 servings

  • Time: 5 minutes prep, 1 hour cooking, 1 hour 5 minutes total


from The Paris Café Cookbook: Rendezvous and Recipes from 50 Best Cafes, by Daniel Young

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Publication of this rice pudding terrine reduces by one the number of essential reasons to visit Paris. Bring the terrine to the table, as they do at L'Ebauchoir, and let your guests help themselves to their preferred ratio of rice pudding top and caramel bottom.

Ingredients

  • 5 cups milk

  • 2 vanilla beans (or substitute 1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)

  • 1/2 cup long-grain rice

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 3 tablespoons water

  • 2 large eggs, beaten

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

  • 2. Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.

  • 3. Clip off the ends of the vanilla beans, split open lengthwise, and scrape the grains. Add the vanilla beans and grains to the boiling milk, pour in the rice, lower the heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes.

  • 4. Meanwhile, combine half the sugar with the water in a heavy skillet and cook the mixture over high heat, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon and scraping down any sugar crystals clinging to the side of the pan. When the syrup is deep caramel in color, remove from the heat and pour in the bottom of a 1 1/2-quart terrine, casserole, or loaf pan.

  • 5. When the rice is nearly done, remove the vanilla beans. Combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the eggs and beat with a whisk. Pour this mixture into the rice and mix well.

  • 6. Pour the rice pudding into the terrine, place it directly on the bottom of the oven, and bake until the caramel begins to bubble up on the sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.