A good lunch with good friends in our garden - ginormous Goop-ish Mexican feast, followed by my rice pudding, which I make differently each time but which was so successful this time that I shall attempt to share that recipe with you.
Rice Pudding (serves 6-8)
1 large tablespoon butter
300g arborio rice
200ml some zinfandel or something similar, I don’t know, whatever’s in the fridge
600ml double cream
1l whole milk
2 tsp vanilla paste
100g caster sugar
Juice of ¼ of an orange
Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan. Roll the rice around in it, getting it translucent and handsome-looking, then add the wine and bubble it gently for a minute or two.
In a bowl, mix the cream, 750ml of the milk, the sugar and the vanilla. Pour into the pan with the rice. Stir well, add the orange juice, and keep over a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining 250ml of milk as needed, if the liquid is completely absorbed and the rice is not yet ready, or you just want to make it a little looser at the end. Should take around 30 minutes.
I offered it with chocolate chips (which made all the kids do little jigs), raspberry jam, or just on its own. Bon appetit.