Ambrosia was reputedly the food of the gods in the ancient world and I doubt very much that they dined on custard.
My brother used to eat cold rice pudding straight out of the tin, he probably still does, although not when his wife is watching. I am sure that a great many of you have done the same. Go on, admit it.
At school we were served rice pudding made with powdered milk and too much water, an insipid, generally tepid slop, topped with industrial red jam.
My mother baked rice pudding in the oven, but more often than not, until it was solid.
I grew up hating rice pudding. Semolina I could cope with, sago I adored, but no-one could persuade me that rice pudding was fit for human consumption, let alone celestial beings.
But now I am grown up, allegedly, and I have changed my mind. I still cannot be induced to eat the tinned stuff, glorious as many think it to be, but a well made rice pudding, especially with a dollop of good, preferably home made jam is the culinary equivalent of wrapping yourself in a cashmere blanket.
This is a gentle soothing bowl of comfort, most welcome on a cold, grey, winter's day when the light is gone too soon and damp mist pervades each crevice and crack however tightly you try to shut out the world.
600ml full fat milk
60g pudding rice
5 green cardamom pods
5 cloves
1 tablespoon desiccated coconut
4 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon coconut Greek yogurt (optional)
Jam to serve.
Put the milk, rice, spices, sugar and desiccated coconut in a saucepan and place over a very low heat.
Cook slowly for around 40 minutes, stirring frequently.
If it starts getting to thick, just add a little more milk.
Remove the spices and stir in the yogurt (if using)
Pour out into individual serving dishes and offer good quality jam as an accompaniment. We had homemade peach and rose petal jam.
Serves 2.
Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2017 ©
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