Sunday, March 09, 2008

Gateau au Riz...continued


Last year I published a recipe for one of my favorite desserts, Gateau au Riz. A very simple, comforting, uncomplicated classic. I made it last night and took a picture of it before we devastated it. There is still enough for tonight and tomorrow!
I changed the recipe a little and it produced superior results!
Here is the revised recipe:

You need a nice pan you can put in the oven, a ribbed angel food or charlotte mold will work nicely .

In a saucepan on the stove over low heat, make the caramel with 100 grams of sugar and five soupspoons of water. Cook them until you have a golden brown caramel.
If you can get premade caramel, as we can here in France, that will work nicely.

Next, lightly wipe the mold with some oil, then pour in the caramel and try to coat the inside evenly as it gets thick and sticky.

Take a cup (200 grams) of rice, preferably arborio and rinse in cold water. Then put in a saucepan, cover with cold water and cook a few minutes, then rinse in cold water.

Heat a liter of milk with a vanilla bean or a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. As the milk reaches the boiling point, add the rice. Stir with a wooden spoon and as the mixture reaches boiling again, reduce the heat and cover. Cook over a low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now this is where I made a change. I cooked the rice and milk in a heavy copper pan with a cover in the oven. Instead of just vanilla, I added a packet of vanilla sugar. If you don't have access to vanilla sugar, the vanilla and a tablespoon of sugar will work just as well.

In a bowl, whip together: 2 entire eggs, 1/4 cup of milk and 150 grams of sugar.
Mix this with the rice and pour it all into the carmalized mold. Cover the mold with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven. Take it out and let it cool a bit. While it is still warm, take off the foil, cover the top with a serving plate and turn it over. It should just slip out of the mold with the caramel coating glistening enticingly!
The liquid caramel will have penetrated the surface of the rice, giving it it's characteristic caramel flavor. The rest of the caramel will puddle around the base of the gateau and should be spooned as a sauce.

This is one of my favorite desserts! Bon apetit, bien sur!

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