Baked rice pudding with Chios Mastic

A supremely aromatic traditional dessert. 

Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

60 g glacé rice

180 ml water

A pinch of salt

500 ml whole milk, plus 280 ml for the end

2 – 3 strips of lemon zest (shaved off with a vegetable peeler)

1 stick of cinnamon

½ teaspoon Chios mastic, crushed together with some sugar with a mortar and pestle

30 g cornstarch

1 large, room temperature egg yolk

60 g sugar

Finely chopped Aegina pistachios for serving (optionally)

PREPARATION

Rinse the rice, add it to a bowl and let it soak in cold water for 30–60 minutes.Strain and transfer to a saucepan with the water and the salt.Set over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce to medium heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is almost softened and a bit of liquid remains. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool in the remaining liquid.

In another pot, add 500 ml milk, the lemon zest, the cinnamon stick and the mastic. Heat gradually over low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring to ensure the milk does not boil over, until infused with the spices and the lemon. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 220°C (top and bottom elements) or 200 C (convection).

Dissolve the cornstarch in the 280 ml of milk. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolk with the sugar until creamy. Gradually add the milk with the cornstarch, continuously stirring until frothy. Strain the infused milk and remove the lemon zest and cinnamon. Slowly and steadily add the strained milk to the egg mixture, beating vigorously with a whisk.

Transfer the mixture to the pot with the rice, set over medium-low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 8-10 minutes, until it starts to thicken. While stirring, ensure that the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pot and that the mixture does not thicken too much, as it needs to be somewhat runny.

Transfer the mixture to 6 oven-safe ramekins. Place in a deep baking tray and carefully add enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins (making sure not to get the rice pudding wet).

Bake on the second-highest height setting of the oven for 25-30 minutes, until slightly puffy and golden brown on top. Remove from the oven, let cool and sprinkle with finely chopped Aegina pistachios to taste.

Serve warm, chilled, or at room temperature.