Arroz con Leche Yucateco
Arroz con Leche Yucateco·(ah-ROHS kohn LEH-cheh yoo-kah-TEH-koh)
Late-Night Plaza Sweets: Dulces y Sobremesa
When the damp winter chill—what locals call 'la heladez'—creeps across the Yucatán peninsula, families huddle around steaming bowls of this. Forget the generic stuff; the grandmother's secret here is a sharp, fragrant infusion of local sour orange leaves. To get that exact, haunting aroma from a standard American supermarket run, we strip the zest from a navel orange and a lemon. Factor in the mid-century pantry staple of canned milks, and you've got a luxuriously creamy, deeply nostalgic bowl of comfort that doesn't require standing over a hot stove for three hours.
Ingredients
- medium-grain white rice1 cup
- water3 cup
- Ceylon cinnamon stick1 large
- navel orange1 med
- lemon1 med
- kosher salt1/4 tsp
- evaporated milk12 oz
- sweetened condensed milk14 oz
- whole milk2 cup
- pure vanilla extract1 tsp
- ground cinnamon1 tbsp
- raisins1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Wash the rice thoroughly.
You want this pudding creamy, not gummy. Rinsing away the excess surface starch is non-negotiable.
- 02
Simmer the aromatics to soften the grains.
In a heavy pot, combine the rinsed rice, water, cinnamon stick, citrus strips, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer low for 15 to 20 minutes until the water is absorbed. Cooking the rice in water first ensures the grains soften; boiling it in milk and sugar from the start leaves you with a crunchy, ruined core.
- 03
Stir in the tres leches blend.
Once the rice is swollen and soft, pour in the evaporated, condensed, and whole milks. Scrape the bottom of the pot to free any stuck grains, and toss in the raisins if you are using them.
- 04
Reduce the pudding gently.
Simmer uncovered over medium-low for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently so the milk doesn't scorch. Pull the pot off the heat while it still looks a little too loose—it will thicken drastically as it cools.
- 05
Finish with a hit of vanilla.
Fish out and discard the cinnamon stick and citrus strips, then stir in the vanilla extract off the heat to preserve its volatile aromatics.
- 06
Rest and serve warm or chilled.
Let the pot sit for at least 15 minutes. Serve straight away with a heavy dusting of ground cinnamon, or stash it in the fridge to eat cold on a hot night.
Notes
Adjusting leftover consistency.
As the pudding chills in the fridge, it will solidify into a dense block. Simply stir a splash of cold whole milk into your leftover bowl to restore its luxurious, creamy texture.