Riz bi Haleeb
رز بحليب·(riz bi ha-leeb)
Asrouniyeh: Afternoon Hospitality & Sweets
Drop the heat on the back burner and work the wooden spoon in slow circles. Feel the unwashed short-grain rice slowly releasing its natural starches into whole milk. Forget the modern shortcuts that rely on cornstarch to fake a quick custard. Sweeten it just enough, stir in the orange blossom water, and pour it into glass bowls. Let the pudding rest, wait for that coveted wrinkled skin on top, and eat it cold.
Before you start
Crush the mastic tears with a pinch of sugar.
Place the mastic tears and the quarter teaspoon of sugar into a mortar and pestle and pound them into a fine powder. The sugar acts as a crucial abrasive that prevents the sticky resin from gluing to your mortar.
Ingredients
- short-grain rice1/2 cup
- water1 cup
- whole milk4 cup
- heavy cream2 tbsp
- mastic tears3 small
- granulated sugar1/4 tsp
- granulated sugar1/2 cup
- orange blossom water1 tbsp
- rose water1/2 tbsp
- shelled unsalted pistachios1/4 cup
Method
- 01
Combine the unwashed rice and water in a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
Bring to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered until the rice has absorbed almost all the water and plumped up, about 5 to 7 minutes. This jumpstarts the cooking process and releases the surface starches fast.
- 02
Pour the whole milk and heavy cream into the pot with the rice.
Increase the heat slightly just to bring the milk to a bare simmer, then immediately drop the heat back down to medium-low.
- 03
Simmer the mixture uncovered, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.
Stir every few minutes to prevent the milk from scorching on the bottom. Allow it to cook until the milk reduces and thickens beautifully and the rice grains are completely tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. You will know it is ready when the pudding heavily coats the back of your spoon.
- 04
Stir in the half cup of sugar and the crushed mastic powder.
Cook for exactly 5 more minutes to allow the sugar to dissolve completely and the pudding to regain its thick consistency.
- 05
Remove the pot entirely from the heat and stir in the orange blossom and rose waters.
Never boil floral waters, or the delicate aromatic compounds will turn bitter.
- 06
Ladle the hot pudding immediately into six individual serving bowls.
Let them sit uncovered on the kitchen counter until they reach room temperature, then transfer them to the refrigerator to chill completely for at least 3 hours.
- 07
Garnish with crushed pistachios just before serving.
Sprinkle a border or a center mound of the bright green nuts on the surface of the cold pudding for visual contrast and crunch.
Notes
Do not wash the rice.
The secret to the exact, velvety taste of this dish relies entirely on the natural starches of the short-grain rice. Washing it strips away the thickening power you need.
Leave the bowls uncovered as they cool.
This is how you achieve taja'eed, the beautifully wrinkled, rich skin that forms on the surface of the pudding as the milk proteins and fats set. Covering them traps condensation and ruins the effect.
Avoid long-grain rice entirely.
If you cannot find Calrose rice, substitute Italian Arborio. Basmati or Jasmine lack the necessary starch and will leave you with a watery mess instead of a proper pudding.
From Cook Lebanese in America.