Spanish Arroz con Leche Recipe

Method7 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Rinse the cup of dry rice under cold water and drain. Put it in a saucepan and pour in only enough of the measured 4¼ cups milk to barely cover it. Keep the rest of that milk aside. Place over medium heat.

   Uses 1 cup dry short-grain rice, Bomba or Arborio · Cold water, enough to rinse the rice; drain before cooking · Initial milk from the 4¼-cup supply, just enough to barely cover the rice

2. 2

   Step 2: Add the cinnamon stick (1) and lemon-rind (1–2) slices. Bring to a gentle simmer and stir continuously until the initial milk is mostly absorbed, keeping the rice from catching on the bottom.

   Uses Drained rice and initial milk in the saucepan, with rinsing water excluded · 1 cinnamon stick · 1–2 wide slices lemon rind

3. 3

   Step 3: Add the remaining milk from the same 4¼-cup supply about ½ cup (120 ml) at a time, using a smaller final portion if needed. Stir continuously, letting each addition become mostly absorbed before the next, until all the measured milk has been added.

   Uses Rice with absorbed initial milk and aromatics · All remaining milk from the one 4¼-cup supply, added in about ½-cup portions

4. 4

   Step 4: Once all the milk is in, keep cooking and stirring until the rice is fully cooked and the pudding is creamy, about 30 minutes overall for the rice cooking. Taste to choose a firmer or softer texture, and stop before it becomes dry.

   Uses Rice pudding with the full measured milk supply

5. 5

   Step 5: Remove from the heat. Lift out the cinnamon stick and lemon-rind strips, then stir in the pinch of salt. Add sugar a few tablespoons at a time, tasting between additions until sweet enough. Keep the measured ground cinnamon for topping.

   Uses Cooked unsweetened rice pudding · 1 pinch salt · Sugar added gradually to taste

6. 6

   Step 6: For the cold version only, divide the pudding among four small serving dishes and refrigerate promptly at 4°C/40°F or below, within 2 hours or within 1 hour if the room is above 32°C/90°F. Chill for about 2 hours, until cold. Skip this chilling step when serving warm.

   Chill if serving cold · 120 minUses Sweetened pudding without the removed whole aromatics, only if choosing cold serving

7. 7

   Step 7: Serve the warm pudding from the saucepan or the chilled pudding from the refrigerator, divided into four dishes. Sprinkle each with ground cinnamon from the measured 1 tsp topping supply. Refrigerate leftovers promptly, tightly covered, for up to 3 days. Once fully cooled under refrigeration, freeze for up to 3 months if desired; the texture may change after thawing.

   Uses Warm pudding if the cold-serving step was skipped, without the removed aromatics · Cold pudding only if the chilling route was chosen · Ground cinnamon from the 1 tsp supply, enough to garnish the four dishes