Arroz con Leche de Sobras
(ah-ROS con LEH-cheh deh SO-brahs)
Nochebuena y Domingos en Familia: Rituals, Weekends, and Holidays
A cold plastic Tupperware of Sunday’s white rice skips the simmer of raw grains. Pour in a punctured can of La Lechera condensed milk, keep a wooden spoon scraping the bottom of the saucepan, and watch the dessert thicken. The success of this frugal repurposing is the tempered egg yolks folded in at the very end. This tempering turns a simple pantry staple into a custard tasting exactly like the ones sold at a Miami ventanita. Eat it warm straight from the pot.
Ingredients
- cooked long-grain white rice3 cup
- whole milk2 cup
- yellow lemon peel1 large
- cinnamon stick1 large
- kosher salt1/4 tsp
- sweetened condensed milk14 oz
- evaporated milk12 oz
- egg yolks2 large
- pure vanilla extract1 tbsp
- ground cinnamon1 tsp
Method
- 01
Rehydrate the cold rice in a gentle milk bath.
In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, combine the leftover rice, whole milk, lemon peel, cinnamon stick, and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes, using the back of a wooden spoon to break up any clumps of cold rice until the grains soften and the milk becomes fragrant.
- 02
Introduce the heavy dairy and simmer slowly.
Pour in the sweetened condensed and evaporated milks, dropping the heat to medium-low. Stir frequently to ensure the heavy sugars don't scorch to the bottom of the pot. Simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes until the liquid reduces into a creamy, ivory-colored base; a wooden spoon drawn across the bottom should briefly leave a clean trail.
- 03
Temper the egg yolks to create the custard.
Place the beaten egg yolks in a small bowl. Whisking vigorously, slowly drizzle in about 1/3 cup of the hot liquid from the pot to gently warm the eggs. Slowly pour this tempered yolk mixture back into the pot, stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes until rich and glossy, making absolutely sure the mixture does not come to a boil.
- 04
Remove from the heat and finish with vanilla.
Pull the pot off the stove immediately. Carefully fish out and discard the lemon peel and cinnamon stick, then stir in the vanilla extract.
- 05
Cool the pudding to allow the starches to set.
Let it sit in the pot for 20 minutes before spooning into ramekins. It will look slightly loose while hot, but thickens beautifully as it cools. Serve warm or chilled, generously dusted with ground cinnamon.
Notes
Do not scrape a scorched pot.
If you feel a layer of rice sticking and burning to the bottom of the pot during the condensing phase, do not scrape it. Scraping will release bitter brown bits into your pristine pudding. Instead, lower the heat, stir only the surface, and carefully pour the good pudding into a new container when finished.
Reheating leftovers.
Starches in rice retrograde and firm up in the fridge. If you prefer to eat your leftover pudding warm, reheat it gently on the stove with a splash of milk to loosen the texture.
From Cook Cuban in America.