From the start of early spring mum’s garden has been abundantly fragrant with tiny white citrus blossoms. The clementine (or mandarin) blossoms, in what seemed like their hundreds were the most fragrant of all the citrus and resulted a tree absolutely heaving with beautiful bright orange fruit. The spring fragrance from the clementines transported perfectly to a big warm pot of rizogalo (Greek rice pudding) on a cold, rain-soaked autumn day. The creamy, milky sweetness offset with clementine zest and a good dusting of cinnamon. The perfect afternoon tea along with a Greek coffee, eaten in front of the fire for that extra layer of comfort.
Rizogalo
Ριζογαλο
Ingredients
- 150 g medium grain rice or Greek 'glace' rice
- 300 ml cold water
- 600 ml milk
- 30 g cornflour mixed with a little water to make a paste
- 100 g caster sugar
- 1 clementine or mandarin or citrus of your choice zested
- Cinnamon ground to taste
Instructions
-
Using a medium sized saucepan, add rice and water. Simmer over a low heat until the rice is well cooked and all of the water has pretty much absorbed. The joy of a rice pudding is squidgy rice - this step is crucial for the squidgy comfort factor. When the water is fully absorbed, slowly add the milk. Stir continuously. Next, add the cornflour paste, sugar and citrus zest. Keep stirring continuously until the pudding thickens to your desired preference. To serve, pour into small bowls and dust with lots of ground cinnamon or to taste.
