A Portuguese classic that smells of cinnamon, lemon and home
In Portugal, arroz doce needs no “presentation”. You find it at Christmas, yes, but also at family meals, at simple celebrations and on those days when you get a craving for family meals.
It is served cold or warm, in a large bowl or in small bowls, and it always comes with that final detail that makes it ceremonial: the cinnamon on top (drawn with patience or sprinkled with love, which is the same thing).
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Before being a dessert, rice is a basic ingredient. It arrived in Iberian cuisine centuries ago, was cultivated, became part of everyday life and ceased to be “exotic” and became something homely. The magic happens when it enters into the sweet field. That's where two very Portuguese hints appear:
1) Spices and perfumes. Cinnamon and citrus (lemon, sometimes orange) are not there for decoration, but rather for flavouring. These are flavours that came to Europe and stayed. In Portugal, especially, they have become a language of their own in sweet cuisine.
2) The yolks. If you are familiar with Portuguese pastries, this will ring a bell: egg yolks appear again and again as a signature. In arroz doce, they are not always used, but when they are (as in this recipe), they give colour, texture and that creaminess that makes the dish “polished”. The result is a dessert humble in ingredients, but sophisticated in sensations: milk, rice, sugar and an unmistakable smell.
Why did it become a Christmas must-have? Because it is practical and generous. It is made for several, holds well, improves with rest, and looks effortlessly beautiful.
Now, Adriana's recipe, our Pastry Chef. You can also find her on Instagram.
Ingredients
For 6 persons
100 g carolino or round rice
250 ml water
1 litre of milk
180 g + 55 g sugar
10 g cornstarch
4 egg yolks
1 cinnamon stick
1 lemon peel
salt c/n
cinnamon to decorate
Preparation
- Boil the rice with the water and salt.
- Add the milk, cinnamon stick and lemon peel.
- When it comes to the boil, add the 180 g of sugar and stir continuously.
- In a separate bowl, mix the 55 g of sugar with the cornflour and the egg yolks very well to avoid lumps.
- Add a ladleful of the boiling rice pudding to this mixture to temper it.
- Mix everything together, blend very well and boil until it reaches the point of creaminess you like best.
Serve in a single or individual serving dish and decorate with cinnamon to taste.
If you do, tag @adrirbakes and @acasaportuguesa. We want to see those fountains (and those cinnamon decorations, classic or artistic).
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