Serving bowl and small bowl of French rice pudding topped with whipped cream, along with spoons on a lace tablecloth.

5 / 6 votes

Riz au Lait ~ French Rice Pudding

Riz au lait is another way of saying French rice pudding. It's just made without egg but with plenty of milk and sugar and it's so gosh darn easy and impossible to stop eating. Quite possibly the thing we love most about the French.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Servings: to 8 servings

Calories: 256

Ingredients

▢ 1 cup uncooked short-grain rice
▢ 4 to 5 tablespoons granulated white sugar
▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt
▢ 1 small orange, preferably organic, very finely zested and juiced (at least 1/3 cup or 80 ml juice and 1 to 2 teaspoons zest)
▢ 1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 3 1/4 cups whole milk, half-and-half, or half milk and half light or heavy cream
▢ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
▢ Softly whipped cream, creme fraiche, or marmalade, for serving (optional)

US - Metric

Instructions

Place the rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under running water until the water runs clear, about 1 minute.
Then place the rice in a medium saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Drain the rice. Wipe out the pan and return the rice to the pan along with 1 tablespoon sugar, salt, and the orange zest. Slice the vanilla bean along its center and scrape out the seeds, adding both the pod and the seeds to the pan, or add the vanilla extract. Pour the milk over the rice, stir, and place over medium heat. Bring it just to a boil and then immediately turn down the heat to as low as possible.
Cover the saucepan, leaving it slightly ajar, and let the pudding gently simmer, stirring often so the rice neither sticks to the bottom of the pan nor bubbles up and over 20 to 35 minutes, depending on the type of the rice you’re using. Keep watch as you don't want the mixture to cook too long or dry but is thick and very creamy and the rice is tender and has absorbed almost all of the liquid.
Remove the pan from the heat and carefully remove and discard the vanilla bean. Add the butter and 3 tablespoons sugar and stir until the butter is melted and well blended into the rice, 30 to 60 seconds.
Carefully, gradually, and vigorously stir in the orange juice until well blended, about 1 minute. Taste and, if you want the pudding a little sweeter, add the last tablespoon of sugar.
Spoon the riz au lait into 6 dessert bowls and serve warm or cold, keeping in mind the flavors will be somewhat muted if served cold.

Notes

Extra Orange-Y Riz Au Lait

For an even more pronounced orange flavor, add a few drops orange essence or extract to the pudding along with the vanilla bean or extract or, for a warmer, more complex flavor, add a few drops orange blossom water.

Nutrition