Rice Pudding

Ingredients

• 1150g arborio rice (or Japanese sushi rice)
• 21 litre whole milk (or sheep's milk for a luxurious variation)
• 3200ml double cream
• 460g caster sugar
• 51 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
• 6Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 7For the miso caramel: 100g caster sugar
• 82 tbsp white miso paste
• 9100ml double cream
• 1025g unsalted butter
• 11Pinch of sea salt
• 12To garnish: 50g candied pecans or walnuts
• 132 tbsp puffed rice (available in health food shops)
• 14Optional: sake ice cream or a drizzle of cream

Instructions

1. 1Preheat oven to 150°C / 300°F. Rinse the rice briefly, then place in a buttered ovenproof dish. Pour over milk and cream. Add sugar, vanilla seeds and pod, and grated nutmeg. Stir gently.
2. 2Bake uncovered for 1.5–2 hours, stirring once after 30 minutes, until the rice is tender and creamy and a golden skin has formed on top.
3. 3Make the miso caramel: Heat sugar in a dry saucepan until it turns amber. Remove from heat and whisk in cream (it will bubble). Add miso paste, butter, and salt. Stir until smooth. Keep warm.
4. 4Candied nuts: Toss pecans or walnuts in a little sugar in a hot dry pan until coated and caramelised. Spread on baking paper to cool, then roughly chop.
5. 5Serve the rice pudding warm in bowls. Drizzle with miso caramel, scatter over candied nuts and puffed rice. Add a scoop of sake ice cream alongside if desired.