Sour cherry rice pudding

Name: Sour cherry rice pudding
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups rice; 3 cups milk; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 5 tablespoons sugar; finely grated zest of 1 orange; 2 eggs; 300 g pitted sour cherries; 4 tablespoons sugar; 10 g butter; 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs

Dessert - Sour cherry rice pudding by Ruxandra K. - Recipia

The sour cherries are cooked separately, while the rice pudding is baked in layers and served cold with their syrup. Rice cooked with milk, orange zest and eggs gives it a set center, with sour cherries between the layers and on top; the breadcrumbs leave the base lightly browned. I only slice it once cold, when the layers hold together without running. Prep: 20 minutes. Cook: 75 minutes. Rest: 150 minutes. Total time: 245 minutes. Servings: 6. Approximately 390 kcal and 10 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups rice
3 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons sugar
finely grated zest of 1 orange
2 eggs
300 g pitted sour cherries
4 tablespoons sugar
10 g butter
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs

Preparation

1. Rinse the rice and put it on to cook over low heat with the milk, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 5 tablespoons sugar. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the milk. 2. Put the pitted sour cherries and 4 tablespoons sugar in a saucepan. Cook for 5 minutes, until they release their juice, then drain them. 3. Turn off the heat and leave the rice to cool for 30 minutes. Stir in the egg yolks and the finely grated zest of 1 orange. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then gently fold them in. 4. Grease an ovenproof dish with 10 g butter and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs. Put half the rice in the dish, add half the sour cherries, then the remaining rice and the rest of the cherries. 5. Bake at 180°C for 35-40 minutes, until the pudding is set and lightly browned on top. Leave it to cool for 2 hours before serving, and spoon some sour cherry syrup over each serving.

Notes

Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. For a gluten-free version, swap the breadcrumbs for 2 tablespoons gluten-free breadcrumbs; the pudding contains eggs and dairy. A slice is good on its own, with unsweetened tea. I bake it a few hours before the meal so it has time to cool and slice cleanly. Short-grain rice gives a firmer center than long-grain rice. If the sour cherries are very juicy, let them drain well; too much juice can soften the middle layer. Grate only the orange part of the peel, as the white part can turn bitter.