Arroz con Leche
A creamy Spanish rice pudding, slowly simmered in milk with cinnamon and lemon zest.
Ingredients
- short-grain rice100 g
- water200 ml
- milk1000 ml
- sugar90 g
- cinnamon2 stick
- lemon zest1 slice
- salt1 pinch
- ground cinnamon1 tsp
Instructions
Rinse 100 g of round-grain rice in cold water until the water runs clear. In a wide saucepan, bring 200 ml of water to a boil, add the rice and cook over low heat for 15–20 minutes, until the water is almost fully absorbed.
In a separate saucepan, heat 1 L of milk with 90 g of sugar, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 strip of lemon zest and a pinch of salt until hot, without letting it come to a rolling boil.
Pour the hot milk into the rice along with the cinnamon sticks and lemon zest. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 40–50 minutes.
Stir the pudding every 5–7 minutes, especially toward the end, so the rice releases its starch, the milk thickens, and the grains become very soft.
Remove the pan from the heat and take out the cinnamon sticks and lemon zest. Divide the arroz con leche among 4 serving bowls and let cool for 30 minutes; the pudding will thicken further as it cools.
Before serving, sprinkle each portion with 1 tsp of ground cinnamon.
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