subject: Rice Pudding grows up with a Brulee twist [print this page] Rice Pudding grows up with a Brulee twist
Brle is basically French for "burnt" but loosely translated to English it means "holy cow that's delicious". I have to tell you honestly, I have been a rice pudding hater for many, many years. My fear of rice pudding is deeply rooted and absolutely justified. I am pretty sure for many years of my childhood I was fed rice pudding made from skim milk, raisins & minute rice and for some reason I had it confused a whole lot with tapioca. I think it was a textural thing but I was completely traumatized by both of them and by the time was old enough to make my own food choices, both tapioca & rice puddings fell completely off my list in favour of other, more reasonable pudding options like chocolate, butterscotch and vanilla, I was certain I could have lived my entire life without ever eating them again. I truly never understood the appeal until I was recently introduced to my new bff rice pudding brle.
Borrowing from the classic dessert crme brle, this dish of pure creamy goodness has a hard candy topping, a crisp contrast to the soft, sweet fragrant rice. The pudding was scented with coconut & cardamom creating that magical balance of savoury and sweet. Now, I will admit, I was tricked. When I saw the crispy brled topping, I was positive it was a crme brle and when my spoon hit the side of the sugar and it made that incredible sound like thin ice cracking on a thawing lake, I kind of blacked out for just a second in anticipation of what was to come. My spoon went deep into the dish and pulled out a serving, I put it into my mouth and began to savour it. It was only then I realized that there was a texture to the crme brle that it shouldn't have. It was smooth yet grainy and in the voice of Homer Simpson I had a total "doh" moment when I realized I was eating rice pudding and completely loving it. My brain froze; imagine my shock, my horror, my complete and utter surprise. I was angry at first that I allowed myself to be tricked by the sexy brled topping, that I had fallen for its charms so easily. But once I was in the clutches of the pudding, there was no turning back. It was just really, really good. And weather I was having a weak moment or it really was one of the best things I had ever eaten I will never know because that dish was just so darn small it disappeared almost instantly. I am a changed woman, I have turned over a new leaf, I am no longer a rice pudding hater I am a rice pudding lover and you should be too. Try it again for the very first time. I have modified the recipe and posted it here www.wellseasoned.ca/blog Please, report back.
