A GOOD FRENCH RICE PUDDING, OR GÂTEAU DE RIZ.
Swell gently in a quart of new milk, or in equal parts of milk and cream, seven ounces of the best Carolina rice, which has been cleared of the discoloured grains, and washed and drained; when it is tolerably tender, add to it three ounces of fresh butter, and five of sugar roughly powdered, a few grains of salt, and the lightly grated rind of a fine lemon, and simmer the whole until the rice is swollen to the utmost; then take it from the fire, let it cool a little, and stir to it quickly, and by degrees, the well-beaten yolks of six full-sized eggs. Pour into a small copper stewpan[[150]] a couple of ounces of clarified butter, and incline it in such a manner that it may receive an equal coating in every part; then turn it upside down for an instant, to drain off the superfluous butter; next, throw in some exceedingly fine light crumbs of stale bread, and shake them entirely over it, turn out those which do not adhere, and with a small brush or feather sprinkle more clarified butter slightly on those which line the pan. Whisk quickly the whites of the eggs to snow, stir them gently to the rice, and pour the mixture softly into the stewpan, that the bread-crumbs may not be displaced; put it immediately into a moderate oven, and let it remain in a full hour. It will then, if properly baked, turn out from the mould or pan well browned, quite firm, and having the appearance of a cake; but a fierce heat will cause it to break, and present an altogether unsightly appearance. In a very slow oven a longer time must be allowed for it.
[150]. One which holds about five pints is well adapted to the purpose. When this is not at hand, a copper cake-mould may be substituted for it. The stewpan must not be covered while the gâteau is baking.
New milk, or milk and cream, 1 quart; Carolina rice, 7 oz.: 3/4 hour. Fresh butter, 3 oz.; sugar, in lumps, 5 oz.; rind, 1 large lemon: 3/4 to 1-1/4. Eggs, 6: baked in a moderate oven, 1 hour.
Obs.—An excellent variety of this gâteau is made with cocoa-nut flavoured milk, or cream (see Chapter [XXIII].), or with either of these poured boiling on six ounces of Jordan almonds, finely pounded, and mixed with a dozen bitter ones, then wrung from them with strong pressure; it may likewise be flavoured with vanilla, or with candied orange-blossoms, and covered at the instant it is dished, with strawberry, apple, or any other clear jelly.
A COMMON RICE PUDDING.
Throw six ounces of rice into plenty of cold water, and boil it gently from eight to ten minutes; drain it well in a sieve or strainer, and put it into a clean saucepan with a quart of milk; let it stew until tender, sweeten it with three ounces of sugar, stir to it, gradually, three large, or four small eggs, beaten and strained; add grated nutmeg, lemon rind, or cinnamon to give it flavour, and bake it one hour in a gentle oven.
Rice, 6 oz.: in water, 8 to 10 minutes. Milk, 1 quart: 3/4 to 1 hour. Sugar, 3 oz.; eggs, 3 large, or 4 small; flavouring of nutmeg lemon-rind, or cinnamon: bake 1 hour, gentle oven.
QUITE CHEAP RICE PUDDING.
Boil the rice in water, as for a currie, and while it is still warm, mix with it a pint and a half of milk, and three fresh or four or five French eggs (at many seasons of the year these last, which are always cheap, are very good, and answer excellently for puddings.) Sweeten it with pale brown sugar, grate nutmeg on the top, and bake it slowly until it is firm in every part.