Rice Pudding (Arroz Doce)

Another recipe from Cherie Hamilton:

This dessert is almost obligatory at wedding receptions. In certain regions of Portugal and the Madeira Islands, rice pudding was used as a way of announcing an impending wedding and of introducing the groom to the bride’s relatives and friends. The local girls, with the bride’s mother and the groom, would visit families that they knew and offer a dish of rice pudding in a shallow basket covered with a hand embroidered cloth. Custom also calls for the party to return a week later to collect the basket and dish and for the bride to receive a wedding gift. This pudding is also enjoyed on holidays and special occasions throughout the Portuguese-speaking world.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

1¼ cups short grain rice
4 cups milk
1 lemon peel
1 ¼ cups sugar
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Place the rice in a large pot, add the milk, and bring to a simmer. Add the lemon peel and the sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the rice is cooked, about 25 minutes. Remove the rice from the heat and let cool for 30 minutes.

Add the egg yolks to the rice one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Return the rice mixture to the stove and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour into a serving dish, cool, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Sprinkle the pudding with cinnamon before serving, using a doily over the rice to create a pattern. Some cooks sprinkle the cinnamon in the shape of letters, hearts or other designs.

If your mate speaks Portuguese, you may want to give this recipe a look before heading here.

Images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.