Saffron rice pudding

Chef turned farmer Matthew Evans has many fond memories from this childhood of eating rice pudding with family. Here, he takes inspiration from his Huon Valley-based neighbour’s home-grown saffron for a grown-up version of this simple pudding.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  4-6

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  1:35 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2½ cups (625 ml) milk
• ½ cup (125 ml) cream
• ½ orange, finely zested
• Generous pinch of saffron threads, soaked in 1 tbsp milk (ideally for 24 hours)
• 3 green cardamom pods
• A few drops vanilla extract
• 90 g demerara sugar
• 80 g short-grain rice
• Poached fruit, to serve (see Note)

Steeping time: 24 hours (optional)

Resting time: 30 minutes

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 160˚C (140˚C fan-forced).
2. Combine the milk, cream, orange zest, saffron, cardamom and vanilla in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then turn off and allow to stand for 15 minutes to infuse. Pour into a 1.5 litre baking dish, then add the sugar and rice. Stir to combine, then bake for 90 minutes, or until the rice is cooked, stirring every 30 minutes.
3. The rice should develop a browned skin on top. Remove from the oven and allow to stand (it will thicken as it sits). Spoon the saffron rice pudding between bowls and serve with poached fruit on the side (see Note).

Note

Matthew Evans' poached pears complement this pudding nicely.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.