Rice Pudding

w amaro soaked raisins

As a kid, no dessert meant more to me than rice pudding. It all started with a tradition that, sadly, is now over. Whenever my family drove down to Pennsylvania to visit family, we’d stop at a small Greek restaurant called It’s Greek To Me on the way home. We’d be shaken awake by the smell of gyros and grilled peppers—something five-year-old me could never be mad about. I haven’t been there in at least twenty years, but I still think about the rice pudding I’d always get to close out the meal.

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked jasmine rice

• 1 egg, beaten

• 2 ½ cups milk

• 1 cup raisins

• 1 cup amaro

• ¼ cup honey

• Large pinch of salt

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 5 cardamom pods

• Spoonful of fennel seeds

• Spoonful of black peppercorns

• 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Add the amaro and raisins to a small pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until most of the amaro has been absorbed.

Meanwhile, rinse the rice twice, then add it to a small pot with 2 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes until just underdone—it will finish cooking later.

While the rice cooks, gently toast the spices over low heat, then tie them into a sachet. Add the sachet to your milk and let it steep. In a saucier, combine 2 cups of milk (including the sachet), the cooked rice, salt, and honey. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring every few minutes, and cook for 12–15 minutes until slightly thickened.

Stir in the remaining milk, beaten egg, and vanilla, then cook for another 2 minutes, stirring slowly. Add the raisins and, if you want extra richness, a knob of butter.

Serve warm with a pinch of maldon salt and cinnamon. This only gets better the next day, so stash any leftovers in the fridge and enjoy it chilled later—I actually prefer it cold, but it’s great warm on a chilly day.

Enjoy!