Baked Rice Pudding with Apples
Sweet baked rice pudding was one of my favourite lunches growing up — always served after a warm bowl of soup. The dish came to Slovenia in the 19th century from Austria and other parts of Central Europe, where simple milk-based rice puddings evolved into richer baked versions with eggs and fruit. In Slovenian kitchens, it became known as narastek — literally “something that rises” — describing how the mixture puffs up as it bakes, almost like a light soufflé.
Katharina Prato, Die süddeutsche Küche (Graz, 19th century)
Recipe
Ingredients:
250 g arborio rice
1 l whole milk
40 g butter
4 eggs
60 g sugar (or more if you prefer the baked rice pudding sweeter)
1 tsp vanilla paste or vanilla essence
zest of 1 lemon
3 apples (about 350 g)
cinnamon, to taste
a pinch of salt
Instructions:
Rinse the rice under cold running water. Grease a 20 x 20 cm deep baking dish with butter.
Put milk, butter, and a pinch of salt into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Add rice and cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes or until the rice is soft.
Once the rice is ready, remove it from heat and mix in vanilla and a grated zest of 1 lemon. Let cool.
Preheat the oven to 180C (350F).
Peel, core, and grate the apples. Add cinnamon to taste and mix well.
Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks.
Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture is pale and foamy, then fold it into the rice.
Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and gently fold them into the rice mixture.
Pour half the mixture into the pan. Gently squeeze the grated apples and then sprinkle over the first half of rice. Pour the second half of the rice mixture over the apple layer.
Bake for about an hour. Cover with aluminum foil after about 30 minutes so that the top doesn't brown too much.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar, slice and serve.