Once upon a time, the humble rice pudding was a very grand dish indeed. In medieval Europe, rare, expensive rice was kept locked in the spice cupboard along with all the other imported culinary jewels. In those times, the word "ambrosia" was apt; it meant "food of the Gods", not "tinned for sale in a corner shop near you".
Today, I'm looking at rice not as the understudy, or the starch on the side, but as the star of the show. Just because it's a staple doesn't make it dull. Far from it. In Sanskrit, the word for rice also meant "sustainer of the human race" and today it feeds more than half the world's population, making it our single-most important source of energy. Hardly surprising, then, that rice is associated with all kinds of traditions. Here, we throw rice at newlyweds to symbolise fertility and prosperity. In India, it's the first food a bride gives to her husband. In China, friends greet each other with, "Have you eaten rice today?" as a rather cheery form of, "Hello".
Rice is a cereal, a grass, and there are hundreds of varieties, flavours and shades, from the rich terracotta-red rice of the Camargue to China's highly prized green rice, once so precious it was cultivated only for the imperial household. But it is texture and flavour that define the different varieties; whether it's fluffy or creamy, sticky, fragrant or earthy. Long grains such as basmati maintain their distinct shape when cooked and are ideal with curries or stews. Special medium to short grains are used in paella and risotto, where they absorb some of the cooking liquid without losing their distinct shape. And the shortest grains are perfect for puddings and sushi, as the starch released by the rice produces the vital stickiness that characterises the dishes it's used for.
As for the cooking, there are almost as many methods as there are varieties. The thing you want to crack first (if you haven't already) is how to get the basmati right - ie, nutty, straight and toothsome, rather than soapy, curly and sticky. A double rinse in plenty of cold water is key, followed by a five-minute rest in a sieve to drain. Then heat a little sunflower oil in a pan, and stir-fry the rice for just a couple of minutes, before adding lightly salted water or stock - two and a half times as much as the rice by volume. Bring to a simmer, cover partially and cook on the lowest possible heat for 10 minutes. Then turn off heat, stir and cover completely. Leave for another 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork. I cracked this only a couple of years ago, thanks to a briefing from my friend Helen Fisher. Thanks, Helen. It has changed my life (with rice).
Rice pudding
It may seem incredible that such a small amount of rice can swell sufficiently to feed so many, but I promise you, it does. Serves six to eight.
100g pudding rice
35g unsalted butter, plus a bit extra
650ml whole milk
250ml double cream
1 vanilla pod, split
50g caster sugar or vanilla sugar
6cm strip lemon zest, pith removed
A pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2. Wash the rice in a sieve under cold water and leave to drain.
Rub the inside of a 1.5-litre ovenproof dish with a little butter. Put the milk, cream and split vanilla pod in a saucepan, heat until bubbles just start to appear around the edges, then stir in the rice, sugar, lemon zest and salt. Simmer for five minutes, pour into the greased dish - don't remove the vanilla pod or zest - and dot with butter.
Cover with foil or a lid and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir gently then bake, covered, for another 30 minutes. Stir again, this time scraping up any bits of rice that have stuck to the bottom.
At this point, if you prefer a pudding without a skin, cover with a lid or foil; if you love the skin, leave it off. Bake for another hour, until the rice is tender and creamy, though keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't dry out - add milk if it does.
Arancini with arrabiata sauce
A great way to use up leftover risotto, but so delicious you won't regret making it from scratch, too. You don't have to make the sauce, but it's a nice addition; or just serve with a crisp green salad. They make great fresh buffalo mozzarella at Laverstoke Park in Hampshire (laverstokepark.co.uk). Makes 10-12.
For the arancini
20g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
250g arborio or other risotto rice
800ml-1 litre vegetable
or chicken stock, hot
25g parmesan, grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tbsp shredded basil (optional)
2 eggs, 1 of them separated
100g mozzarella
A few slices good ham
140g fine dry breadcrumbs, seasoned
1 litre sunflower or groundnut oil
For the sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1-2 medium red chillies, membrane and seeds removed, then sliced fine
400g tin chopped tomatoes (in summer use fresh, ripe ones, cored, deseeded and roughly chopped; if they're not perfectly ripe, you'll have to skin them, too)
1 good pinch sugar
1 tbsp finely shredded basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
First make the risotto (if you've already got cooked leftover risotto, just skip this bit). Over a medium-low heat, warm the butter and oil in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan. Add the onion, and sauté until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes more. Tip the rice into the pan, stir until all the grains are well coated, then add hot stock, a ladle at a time, stirring until the stock is almost all absorbed before adding another ladle. The end result should be smooth and slightly drier than a normal risotto, with the rice still a little al dente. Stir in the parmesan, season generously, then stir in the basil, if using. Leave to cool, then stir in one egg yolk.
While the rice cools, make the sauce. In a small frying pan, heat the oil over a medium-low heat. Add the garlic and chilli, sauté for a few minutes until soft and fragrant, then add the tomatoes and cook, stirring from time to time, for five to eight minutes, until thickened. Season with a pinch of sugar, the basil, a little salt and a few grinds of pepper.
Once the rice is cooled, take a heaped tablespoon of rice in the palm of your hand (working with wet hands makes it a bit easier). Press a small hole in the middle and fill the cavity with a little mozzarella and/or a small piece of ham. Press the rice ball around the filling, so it's thoroughly enclosed within the rice and you have a fairly firm ball about the size of a small tangerine.
Whisk together the egg white and the whole egg. Dip each rice ball in beaten egg and then roll in breadcrumbs until coated.
Heat the oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan until it reads 160C on a cooking thermometer (or until a cube of stale white bread turns golden in about 80 seconds). In batches of three or four at a time (and allowing the fat to come back up to temperature between batches), lower the balls into the hot fat with a slotted spoon and fry until golden, about five minutes. Serve piping hot, with the sauce in a bowl for dipping them into.
Leftover fish kedgeree
I sometimes make kedgeree from scratch using home-smoked pollack, but more often than not it's made with leftover fish, particularly mackerel, bream and trout. To make it from scratch, simply poach your fish with a bay leaf in 300ml whole milk and 300ml water until just cooked, then, when cool enough to handle, break into flakes. Reserve the poaching liquid to cook the rice. Later in the year, a handful of peas is a good addition. Serves four.
1 tbsp olive oil
40g unsalted butter
1 large onion, peeled and finely sliced from tip to root (or 1 good handful spring onions, chopped)
2 tsp mild curry powder
175g Fairtrade basmati rice, rinsed a few times in cold water and drained
150ml whole milk
About 400g leftover mackerel, trout, bream or smoked pollack, flaked
3 tbsp roughly chopped coriander
4 large hard-boiled eggs,
peeled and quartered
2 tbsp parsley (or lovage)
2 tbsp toasted almond flakes
In a large pan, heat the oil and half the butter over a medium-low heat. Add the onions and sweat gently for 10 minutes, until soft and starting to turn golden. Sprinkle in the curry powder, stir, cook for another couple of minutes, then add the rice and stir until well coated. Add the milk and 150ml water (or 300ml reserved poaching liquid if you're making this from scratch). Bring to a boil, cover, turn down the heat to very low and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and fluff up the rice with a fork.
Gently fold in the fish flakes, along with half the coriander and the rest of the butter. Spoon the kedgeree on to warmed plates, top each serving with four egg quarters, and sprinkle with coriander, some lovage or parsley, and the almonds.
