Arroz con Leche (Asturian Rice Pudding)
Local name: Arroz con leche
In short: Short-grain rice cooked slowly in milk with cinnamon and lemon peel until creamy, then served warm or chilled and finished with a burnt sugar top. It takes about 1 h 15 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 1 h 5 min
- Resting
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 h 15 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 335 kcal
Arroz con leche is Spain's rice pudding, cooked slowly in whole milk with a cinnamon stick and lemon peel until it turns soft and creamy. Every region has its own version, but Asturias is famous for it, serving it in clay dishes with a layer of burnt sugar on top. It is a dessert for family lunches and fiestas, eaten warm or cold. Patience and frequent stirring matter more than any technique.
Instructions
- Combine the milk, cinnamon stick, lemon peel and salt in a wide, heavy pan. Bring it just to a simmer over medium heat, then stir in the rice.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook for 45 to 55 minutes, stirring often and almost constantly in the last 20 minutes, until the rice is very soft and the mixture is creamy. Do not let it boil hard or stick.
- Stir in the 130 g sugar and cook 5 minutes more until dissolved. The pudding should look slightly loose, because it thickens as it cools.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and lemon peel. Pour the pudding into a serving dish or individual bowls and let it cool for 30 minutes.
- Serve warm or chilled, dusted with cinnamon. For the Asturian finish, sprinkle a thin layer of sugar over each portion and burn it with a kitchen torch until caramelized.
Tips
- Cook on the lowest heat in a heavy-based pan and stir often, especially near the end, because milk scorches easily.
- For a lighter pudding, replace 250 ml (1 cup) of the milk with water. For a richer one, stir in 100 ml (1/3 cup) cream at the end.
Questions and answers
Which rice is best for arroz con leche?
Short-grain rice such as bomba, Arborio or pudding rice. It releases starch and turns creamy. Long-grain rice stays separate and gives a thinner pudding.
How long does Spanish rice pudding keep?
Cover it and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days. It thickens as it chills, so loosen it with a splash of cold milk before serving.
Do I have to stir arroz con leche constantly?
Not for the first half hour, when every few minutes is enough. Stir almost constantly in the last 15 to 20 minutes, when the starch thickens the milk and it can catch.
How long does it take to make Arroz con Leche (Asturian Rice Pudding)?
About 1 h 15 min in total: 10 min of preparation and 1 h 5 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Arroz con Leche (Asturian Rice Pudding)?
About 335 kcal per serving, with 10 g of protein, 54 g of carbohydrates and 9 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 335 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 54 g |
| Fat | 9 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 36 g |
| Sodium | 155 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
