Miso Banana Caramel ‘Leftover Rice’ Rice Pudding & Toasted Hazelnuts
Dessert
Feeds 2-4
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Let’s start with some myth busting!
It’s absolutely fine to eat reheated rice. You don’t even have to nuke it until it’s hotter than the sun. There is a bit of a misconception when it comes to the food safety of rice. There is some nasty bacteria that grows in cooked rice but its actually heat resistant in its nature so reheating is irrelevant. The best way to prevent it’s growth is to make sure you cool your cooled rice down and in the fridge as quickly as you possibly can - ideally within 60 minutes of it being cooked.
I find this recipe useful because I cannot cook the correct amount of rice - I know I could get a cup or a scoop and work it out but life is too short - so I came up with this recipe to tick both my sweet tooth and food waste box!
Usually with a rice pudding, made with uncooked rice, you are relying on the starch being released from the rice to make that unctuous, beautiful, silky texture but also leaving the rice with some bite. As this rice is already cooked, you are relying on releasing the last parts of that rice but also allowing the rice to breakdown a little more. You still have texture from the rice, it just is a little different than a usual rice pudding. In my opinion, it is actually more comforting and more enjoyable. In a way you could look at this as a sort of sweet congee.
This idea works so well with dairy alternatives. I used a mix of milk and coconut milk as this is what we had in the fridge but going full coconut and playing on some asian flavours is lovely but also using almond milk and making a rich, nutty dessert is wonderful!
Adding clotted cream to anything is the most brilliant indulgence. Even just saying (or typing) those words brings a massive smile to my face. Stirring a big splodge through any rice pudding after it is cooked (and off the heat) takes everything to the next level. Obviously it isn’t the best thing for your waistline or general health but this is where that magic word, moderation comes in. I am hoping to master it one day!
The base of this rice pudding is the same regardless of flavour or things you add to it, it’s just milk or cream, cooked rice and sugar….oh, and that clotted cream…..obviously!…….which makes it so simple, so affordable and also so versatile!
I smothered this in my miso, brown sugar and banana caramel sauce (you can find the recipe on my page) - honestly, it’s one of the very best things I have ever made! I kept with the banana theme with some sliced bananas and topped it off with some texture with the crunch of some toasted hazelnuts and coconut flakes. Flaked almonds would be a nice substitute but the texture as a whole is really important to this - its just an easy way to give everything a step up!
INGREDIENTS:
150-200g Cooked White Rice (any variety)
4 Dsp Sugar (to taste)
150g Milk, Cream or Coconut Milk (or any dairy alternative)
1 Tbsp Clotted Cream
3-4 Dsp Miso, Brown Sugar & Banana Caramel Sauce
1 Banana, Sliced
Handful Hazelnuts, Toasted
Handful Coconut Chips, Toasted
METHOD:
Heat the milk, cream or combination of the two in a saucepan and bring to just below simmering.
Add the cooked rice and the sugar and stir well to distribute evenly.
Allow the pan to come to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes until the rice has broken down and you reach a sort of risotto-y texture.
You can always add some more milk or cream if it is a little thick or continue to cook the rice if you like it a little thicker. Remember that it is going to continue to thicken, even after you have turned the heat off.
When you reach the desired texture, take the pan off the heat, then add the clotted cream and stir it through the mixture well. You can almost lightly beat it in to sort of add an extra velvety, almost emulsified texture to the pudding.
Taste the pudding at this point to judge the sugar levels. Add more if you’re really in that mood.
At this point, it’s really important to leave the pudding the rest and settle. The rice softens and breaks down a little more and the investment of 5 minutes of waiting at this point really elevates the finished product.
After 5 minutes of arduous waiting and the anticipation is too much, grab a bowl and serve up.
Top the rice pudding with the sliced banana, generous amounts of the miso & banana caramel sauce and a hefty sprinkling of toasted hazelnuts and coconut chips.
Then all you have to do is tuck in!
