Asturian rice pudding recipe

We are going to prepare an authentic Asturian rice pudding, a dessert with a smooth and creamy texture and a very sweet touch thanks to the aniseed. As its name indicates, this is a typical dessert from Asturias, very similar to traditional rice pudding but with the characteristic touch of flavor provided by anise. It is a delicious dessert, easy to prepare, which is cooked over low heat to make it very creamy and ends with a little burnt sugar, another of the distinctive features of the Asturian version.

Thanks to the sugar that is added at the end, it is crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. This is a dessert that can be eaten cold as well as warm, since it is very good in all ways. In this way, you can do it the day before or well in advance. Keep reading and discover in this article how to make Asturian rice pudding.

Ingredients to make Asturian Rice Pudding:

• 1½ liters of milk
• 150 grams of rice
• 50 grams of butter
• 150 grams of sugar (¾ cup)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tablespoon of aniseed

How to make Asturian rice pudding:

1. Put a pot over medium heat with the milk and the cinnamon stick.
2. Stir little by little so that the cinnamon releases its flavor and the milk is infused
3. When the milk starts to boil, lower the heat a little and add the rice. Stir and let it cook little by little.
4. Stir so that the milk thickens for about 15-20 minutes.
5. Halfway through cooking, when you notice that the milk is thickening, add the sugar.
6.  Mix to integrate all the ingredients and prevent the sugar from sticking.
7.  Then add the butter and continue stirring and mixing. Let the Asturian rice pudding continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes or until it is creamy rice.
8. Tip: if you see that it thickens a lot and that there is a lack of milk, add more milk. You can vary the amount of milk depending on the rice and the temperature.
9. When the rice is almost cooked, add a couple of tablespoons of aniseed, stir and mix.
10.  Turn off the heat at this time. The Asturian rice pudding must be a little liquid, since when it cools it will thicken even more.
11. Distribute the rice pudding into individual molds and let it cool to room temperature.
12.  Once cold, put the molds in the fridge.
13.  The Asturian rice pudding will be better if you make it from one day to the next.
14. Before serving the rice pudding, caramelize the top.
15. To do this, sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar over the rice and, with the help of a burner or kitchen torch, burn the sugar until the entire surface is golden brown.
16. Now yes, ready to serve! As you have been able to verify, the Asturian rice pudding recipe presents quite a few differences with respect to the traditional recipe, so that it is an original and delicious variant.