OK, this isn’t really a backlog recipe, but if I don’t post it now I’ll forget. No pix because it’s not very photogenic at the best of times and it’s getting dark so my chances of getting an okay photo are vanishingly slim.
Anyway!
2 cups leftover cooked rice — plain basmati in my case. An egg, whisked, to which is added about 3-4 cups of milk, some of which may be replaced by cream if you want (I used up some whipped cream leftover from Thanksgiving last week). A couple of spoonfuls of caster sugar. A tiny slurp of vanilla essence. Zest of a lemon. A couple of handfuls (3/4 cup?) of dried cranberries. A good shaking (1/3 cup?) of dessicated coconut. A pinch of salt — I didn’t, but should have. Mix the whole lot in a big bowl and make sure the rice isn’t lumpy.
Then pour it all into a buttered baking dish and stick it in the oven at about 170C for an hour. Set a timer and give it a stir at the 20 and 40 minute marks — it will have started to set a skin, but you’re going to mix that back into the liquid below.
It’ll start out quite liquid and you’ll be sure it won’t set, but toward the end of the hour the rice will have started to soak up most of the milk, and the top will get golden and eventually start to brown. It’ll smell amazing. It’s done when it’s golden-brown enough for your liking and when the pan, gently jiggled, doesn’t slosh around any more. Take it out and let it cool 10 minutes before eating.
