Rice Custard without ‘winging it’

Shirley Ann Sorg of Coeur d’Alene wings it when she’s making Rice Custard because she can’t find a recipe in any of her books. She starts with eggs, some milk and then stirs in rice, sugar, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and raisins, but she says she’s not sure she’s using the right proportion of each ingredient and worries that she bakes it too hot.

“I pretty much just make it and hope for the best,” she says.

Actually, that’s a pretty good strategy. There are hundreds of versions of this venerable favorite. Some use a higher proportion of eggs to milk for a creamier texture. Some have more rice than others. Many recipes call for cream in addition to milk. And some are made on the stove top while others are baked. I searched for a recipe that uses more eggs because Sorg mentioned that she usually starts out with half a dozen.

This recipe doesn’t call for cinnamon, but I sprinkled it on the finished pudding before serving it.

Old-Fashioned Rice Custard

Adapted from www.recipezaar.com6 eggs

3 cups milk

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

1 cup golden raisins

Ground cinnamon, for serving (optional)

Break eggs into a 2-quart buttered casserole; beat slightly with a fork. Add milk, sugar, vanilla and salt. Blend well. Stir in rice and raisins.

Set casserole dish in a pan of water. Bake uncovered, at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until pudding is set, stirring once after 1/2 hour of baking.

Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Cover and place in the refrigerator until chilled.

Serve cold, sprinkled with cinnamon if desired.

Yield: 6 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 393 calories, 9.6 grams fat (4.4 grams saturated, 21 percent fat calories), 12 grams protein, 66 grams carbohydrate, 228 milligrams cholesterol, less than 1 gram dietary fiber, 325 milligrams sodium.