Chef José Andrés once called Casa Gerardo, in Asturias, “one of Spain’s most important restaurants.” According to Andrés, brothers Pedro and Marcos Morán produce dishes that combine traditional techniques and modern touches. Here is their recipe for the popular Spanish dessert, arroz con leche (rice pudding).
ARROZ CON LECHE
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 cup rice
1 cup water
5 cinnamon sticks, broken in half, and 1 vanilla bean, tied together
5 cups milk
4 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
Preparation:
Combine the rice, water, cinnamon, and vanilla in a medium pot and heat until the texture of the rice is almost like a paste. Strain the water. After boiling the milk in a separate pot, add the rice. Continuously stir the mixture with a wooden spoon and bring it to a boil. Reduce to medium heat. Make sure the rice does not stick to the pot.
When the mixture becomes thick (it should stick to the wooden spoon), add the butter little by little. Once the butter is well integrated, remove the pot from the heat and let the rice pudding cool. Continue stirring while you add the salt and sugar. Let the mixture cool and thicken again.
Scoop the rice pudding into bowls. Sprinkle sugar on top of the rice pudding, and caramelize it with a chef’s torch right before eating.
This recipe was provided courtesy of Casa Gerardo.