Scandinavian Christmas rice porridge
Serves 4 · 1 hour 5 minutes · Cream Lux pot
Creamy rice porridge simmered in milk with a cinnamon stick in a roomy enamel pot, served with butter, sugar and cinnamon. Do not forget the hidden almond.
Scandinavian Christmas rice porridge is pudding rice cooked first in water, then simmered slowly in milk with a cinnamon stick until creamy. A low heat, a lid and the occasional stir across the base are all it needs, and tradition says a blanched almond is hidden in the pot.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 200 ml pudding rice
- 300 ml water
- 15 g butter
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 litre whole milk
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 blanched almond
To serve
- Butter
- Caster sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Cold milk
Method
- Bring the water, rice, butter and salt to the boil in the pot. Cover and simmer over a low heat for about 10 minutes, until the water is almost absorbed.
- Pour in the milk, add the cinnamon stick and bring to the boil, stirring.
- Turn the heat down as low as it will go, cover and simmer for 40–45 minutes, stirring across the base now and then, until the rice is soft and the porridge creamy.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and season with salt. Stir the almond into the porridge.
- Serve in bowls with a knob of butter, sugar, cinnamon and cold milk.
Why it works
The roomy 4-litre pot gives the milk space to rise as it comes to the boil, and with the lid on over a low heat the porridge simmers evenly. Anything that sticks to the smooth enamel base lifts off after a short soak.
FAQ
How do I stop rice porridge from catching on the bottom?
Keep the heat low enough for a gentle simmer, keep the lid on and stir across the base every five to ten minutes. Stay by the hob while the milk comes to the boil.
Can I make rice porridge ahead?
Yes. It keeps for a couple of days in the fridge. Reheat it gently with a splash of extra milk.
Why is an almond hidden in the porridge?
It is an old Scandinavian Christmas tradition. Whoever finds the almond is said to have luck in the year ahead, and in some homes wins a small prize.
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