Riz Au Lait with Caramel Sauce
Riz au Lait with Caramel Sauce is what we call a recette de grand–mère, aka a “grandmother’s recipe”. Practically every French grandmother knows their way with pantry staples (rice, milk, sugar and vanilla) to make this creamy rice pudding topped with caramel sauce. This is a comforting and thrifty dessert that always pleases both kids and adults. What makes “Riz au Lait” different from North American rice pudding? Riz au Lait (translating to “rice with milk”) is far less custardy than its American cousin, as it includes no eggs. Rice,…
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- For the Riz au Lait:
- 1/2 cup (100g) short-grain rice
- 4 cups (1 L/1q) whole milk
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract or ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1/3 cup (67g) sugar
- For the caramel sauce:
- 1/3 cup (67g) sugar
- 2 tbsp (28.5g) unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp (105ml) heavy cream (25% mf)
Instructions
- 1
For the riz au lait:
- 2
Step 1 – Place the rice in a colander and rinse it thoroughly under cold water.
- 3
Step 2 – Place the rice, milk, salt and vanilla in a medium sauce pan over medium heat (lid on) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 1 hour, stirring frequently to ensure the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan and to prevent any clumps from forming. After 1 hour, the rice should be tender and the mixture should resemble very loose porridge (some liquid should still be visible).
- 4
Step 3 – Stir in the sugar and continue simmering (lid off) until the mixture thickens slightly further. At this point, you can decide if you prefer a loose rice pudding or firmer in texture: in that case, simmer until desired consistency. Remove from heat and set aside.
- 5
For the Salted Caramel:
- 6
Step 1 – Place the sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat the sugar without stirring until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat slightly, bring to a low boil and boil until the syrup turns a dark caramel color.
- 7
Step 2 – Immediately remove from the heat, stir in the butter and heavy cream. BE CAREFUL as it will bubble. Some of the caramel may solidify, this is normal. Place back onto the heat, and stir continuously until the caramel is homogeneous.
- 8
For serving, you can enjoy the riz au lait warm, cool or chilled, and the caramel sauce warm or cool as well. The riz au lait will be firmer when chilled. Place three or four spoonfuls of riz au lait in serving bowls and top with a drizzle of caramel sauce.