Arroz Doce

Arroz Doce (Portuguese Rice Pudding)

The classic Portuguese festive rice pudding, made with short-grain rice simmered slowly in milk and enriched with egg yolks, finished with a generous dusting of ground cinnamon.

Prep

10 min

Cook

45 min

Total

55 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •150 g (5¼ oz / about ¾ cup) short-grain white rice (arroz carolino), Portuguese carolino is traditional; Italian arborio is the closest substitute
• •500 ml (2 cups) water
• •1 whole lemon peel strip, wide strip of peel from 1 lemon, white pith removed
• •1 pinch salt
• •1 litre (4 cups) whole milk, whole milk is traditional; do not use skim
• •200 g (7 oz / about 1 cup) granulated sugar
• •4 large egg yolks, pasteurized; reserve whites for another use
• •15 g (1 tablespoon) cornstarch (Maizena), helps thicken; some traditional recipes omit
• •ground cinnamon, ground cinnamon, for dusting in decorative patterns

Steps

1. 1 Rinse the rice briefly under cool water until the water runs mostly clear, then drain.
2. 2 In a heavy-bottomed pot, combine the rinsed rice, water, lemon peel, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until the rice is nearly tender and most of the water has been absorbed.
3. 3 Remove and discard the lemon peel. Add the milk and sugar, stirring to combine, and bring back to a gentle simmer.
4. 4 Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking and scorching on the bottom, for 25-30 minutes, until the rice is very soft and the mixture has thickened to a creamy, spoonable consistency. It should coat the back of a spoon and hold a slow trail when you draw a line with your finger across the spoon.
5. 5 Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the cornstarch until completely smooth and pale.
6. 6 When the rice is ready, temper the yolks by ladling about 1 cup (250 ml) of the hot rice mixture slowly into the yolks while whisking constantly. Then pour the warmed yolk mixture back into the pot, stirring constantly.
7. 7 Cook over low heat, stirring continuously, for 3-4 minutes, until the pudding thickens further and the eggs are gently cooked through; the mixture should be glossy and thick enough to mound on a spoon. Do not let it boil or the yolks will curdle. As a safety check, the mixture should reach about 75°C / 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, hot enough to cook the yolks safely without scrambling.
8. 8 Remove from the heat, transfer to a wide serving dish or individual bowls, and let cool slightly.
9. 9 Sprinkle the surface generously with ground cinnamon. Traditional decoration uses a folded paper cone or spoon to draw zigzag or crosshatch patterns on the surface, letting the white pudding show through the brown cinnamon.
10. 10 Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled (refrigerate any leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days; the surface may 'weep' a little, which is normal).