Recipes: Vanilla rice pudding mousse with caramelised pineapple

Published on Saturday 14 November 2009 13:48

THIS is a luxurious chilled rice pudding with gelatine and extra whipped cream and crème fraîche to give it its mousse title. The slight sour note of the crème fraîche makes it a fitting grown-up pud, but don't let that put you off. This is one for a proper wintry get together.

The trick with rice pudding is, like risotto, to serve fairly small portions so you get a taste of the lovely creaminess without feeling stuffed at the same time.

The caramelised pineapple is well worth the effort and adds a real mix of acidity and sweetness. The Escoffier biscuits, which are like little brandy snaps, give a crunch to the whole affair.

And remember, any leftover bits of biscuit can be sprinkled over ice-cream for a very child-friendly dessert.

Vanilla rice pudding mousse with caramelised pineapple

For the rice pudding mousse

60g round pudding rice, or Arborio

350ml full fat milk

30g sugar

vanilla pod

leaf gelatine, soaked in cold water

70g good-quality crme frache

80ml semi-whipped double cream

bowl of ice

For the caramelised pineapple

100g caster sugar

3 x 1-inch thick fresh pineapple rings, core removed and cut into quarters

small amount of water

For the Escoffier biscuits

200g icing sugar

125g soft unsalted butter

100g golden syrup

100g plain flour

Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the pudding rice. Simmer for exactly ten minutes, drain and set aside. In a clean pan add the milk, sugar, seeds from the vanilla pod and the rice and bring to the boil. Turn down and simmer gently until the milk starts to coat the rice. This will take about ten to 15 minutes.

Taste the rice to ensure it's thoroughly cooked. If it's still a little chalky, add more milk and cook until soft. Once ready, remove from the heat and add the softened gelatine, stirring well to dissolve.

Transfer the mix into a metal bowl and place over another bowl filled with ice and stir continuously to cool and thicken the mix. When thick add the crme frache and the semi-whipped cream and gently fold together until completely combined.

Place three mousse rings (approximately 3.5cm x 7cm) on to a baking sheet. Spoon in the rice mix, lightly levelling the top, and chill for two to three hours.

To make the Escoffier biscuits, preheat oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Cream the butter and sugar together, add the syrup and fold in the flour. Let the paste rest in the fridge until firm to the touch. When required, mould into balls, place on a baking tray and flatten with the palm of the hand. Bake in the oven until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool slightly then press out circles the same size as your mousse rings. You need twice as many circles as there are mousses. If the biscuits start to harden up before you've shaped them, pop back into the oven for a minute until they soften up a bit. These are best served as soon as possible as they're difficult to store and can go soft very quickly if left out.

To make the caramelised pineapple, heat a medium-based heavy frying pan. Add the sugar and allow to heat slowly. As soon as the colour begins to change, gently stir to distribute the cold sugar. Take care not to over-stir, as the sugar will crystallise.

Once you have created a caramel, add the pineapple and a splash of water and keep moving the pan so the caramel starts to thicken. Add another splash of water. After three minutes turn the pineapple and repeat the process, adding more water if required. This will take a further three minutes.

Take the mousse from the fridge, place one wafer under the ring on a large plate, gently remove the ring and place another wafer on top to create a sandwich. Remove the pineapple from the pan and place a few pieces beside the mousse. Finally, thin the caramel with a touch of water and pour some around the the finished dish. Serve immediately.

Critical points

Leaf gelatine is readily available from the supermarket. It needs to soak in cold water for about four or five minutes before use, allowing it to swell. Remove it from the water and gently squeeze it out, then add it directly to the warm rice and stir to dissolve it completely. Never add it to a mixture that's too hot or it will impair its setting ability.

It's worth wearing rubber gloves if you're new to caramel making, as any splashes of boiling hot sugar can cause a severe burn. Use a heat-proof spatula to stir, really scraping the bottom of the pan. You're looking for a deep golden colour in the caramel, but take care not to let the sugar burn. Use tongs or the spatula to turn the pineapple chunks – not your fingers.

Stirring in the crme frache and cream is fairly straightforward. The cream should be just whipped enough to hold its shape. Don't over-whip it.