Nan’s Rice Pudding

Growing up I spent a lot of time cooking with my Nan and one of my favourites was Nan’s rice pudding. I do not think there is a better comfort food pudding, creamy, unctuous moreish, the smell of the nutmeg as it cooks and then the skin off the top. This is my Nan’s recipe as best I can remember it after all its been a long time since I cooked with my Nan. It has to be full-fat milk and double cream. I used Jersey gold top in this version of my Nan’s rice pudding.

Ingredients

• 40g butter
• 100g pudding rice 
• 75g caster sugar
• 1-litre full-fat milk
• 150ml double cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or ½ vanilla pod, split lengthways
• pinch salt
• plenty freshly grated nutmeg

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 140C/285F/Gas 1.
2. Melt the butter in a heavy-based casserole dish over medium heat. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the sugar, stirring until dissolved. Continue stirring until the rice swells and becomes sticky with sugar.
3. Pour in the milk and keep stirring until no lumps remain. Add the cream and vanilla and bring the mixture to a simmer. Once this is reached, give the mixture a final stir and grate at least a third of a nutmeg over the surface. Bake for 1-1½ hours and cover with foil if the surfaces browns too quickly.
4. Once there is a thin, tarpaulin-like skin on the surface, and the pudding only just wobbles in the centre, it is ready. Serve at room temperature.

I see no need to mess with a classic dish by adding fruit etc, just have it as it is and let it bring back those childhood memories, As I was writing this sat at the kitchen table that nutmeg aroma filled the air and took me back to my Nan’s house as a child.