Creamy Vanilla Rice Pudding

• 1/2 cup (90g) medium grain rice, I used Calrose
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 4 cups (960 ml) 2% or whole milk
• 6-8 tbsp (100-130g) white sugar (so just less than 1/2 cup)
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, optional
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (if not using vanilla bean, increase this amount to 1 tbsp)
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) 10% cream

Instructions

1. 1

   Rinse the rice under running water, put it into a pot and cover it with cold water by about 1/2 inch (1.25cm) above the rice. Add salt, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer uncovered, stirring from time to time, for about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and drain (do not rinse).

2. 2

   Add the milk, scraped vanilla seeds, vanilla pod, and sugar to a medium pot and whisk well. Add the rice. Stirring from time to time, bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it reaches a gentle simmer, reduce the heat immediately to low to maintain a gentle simmer (bubbles breaking the surface gently). At this point, you are looking at about 40–45 minutes of cooking time. Maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less—it all depends on the amount of heat the rice is receiving. For the first 30 minutes, you will need to stir the rice well with a rubber spatula to prevent scorching, scraping the bottom and the sides; you may get away with stirring every 7 minutes or so. However, after about 30 minutes of cooking, you will need to stir every 4 minutes or so.

3. 3

   If you are using egg yolks, combine the egg yolks and 10% cream (240ml) in a medium bowl, whisk well with a fork, and set aside.

4. 4

   At about the 40-minute mark of cooking the rice, watch it very closely—don't let it get too dry or it will scorch. When you reach the desired consistency (the pudding coats the back of the spoon, is thick enough, and the rice is tender), remove the rice from the heat. Keep in mind that the rice will thicken considerably as it cools, so make sure you don't have runny milk, yet don't make it too thick; ensure there is still plenty of liquid. If not, add a bit more milk to adjust the consistency. You are looking for more sauce than rice; if that is not the case, add a bit more milk. Remove and discard the vanilla pod, if used. Stir in the vanilla extract. Taste and season with more salt as needed. If you like, you can be done at this point and have a perfectly creamy rice pudding. However, if you would like to use egg yolks for additional creaminess, proceed to the next step.

5. 5

   Scoop out about 1 cup (240ml) of the pudding. While whisking the egg yolk mixture vigorously, gently drop a bit of the pudding (starting with just a few drops) into the egg yolk mixture. What we are doing here is gently tempering the eggs and warming the egg yolk mixture while being very careful not to scramble it. Continue with this step of gently dropping the pudding while whisking. You will notice the egg yolk mixture becomes warm. Scoop the warmed mixture back into the rice pudding pot and cook on low heat while stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon. You are just waiting for a few large bubbles to pierce the surface of the pudding. You will notice that the pudding becomes quite thick. Remove it from the heat while continuing to stir. Set the pudding bowl over an ice bath (a larger bowl filled with ice and cold water). Stir for a few minutes, then when the pudding has cooled a bit, place plastic wrap directly against the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate the pudding until cooled, for at least 4 hours.