Rhubarb Jam Rice Pudding

I tried a version of this dish at a pop-up dinner about a year ago and loved it so much I had to recreate it myself. The version I tried last year was dressed in the grassiest, greenest olive oil, which might sound weird (and if it’s not your thing you can totally omit it) but it was absolutely delicious! There was a sticky sweet centre hidden at the bottom of the rice pudding. I’m not sure what it was made from in the original version, but in our Seed to Supper version it’s made from jammy, zingy, sugary rhubarb, cooked down and hidden amid the clouds of rice. Topped with sweet, fresh rockmelon from your garden this is an eclectic dessert for sure, but one you absolutely must try!

Rhubarb Jam Rice Pudding

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

750 ml (3 cups) full-fat milk

125ml (1/2 cup) double cream

1/2 tsp cardamom pods

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp caster sugar

170g jasmine rice (3/4 cup)

Grated rind of 1 lemon

1-2 Tbsp very green and grassy olive oil (optional)

Basil leaves (optional)

2 cups of rockmelon, cut into bite-sized cubes

For the rhubarb jam

300g rhubarb, chopped into chunks ~2-3 cm long

1/2 cup brown sugar

Juice of half a lemon

4 star anise cloves

Method

Put milk, double cream, cardamom pods, nutmeg and castor sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring almost to the boil (but don’t let it boil) then remove from heat and let infuse in the fridge for 2+ hours or overnight.

After the milk has finished infusing, return to the stove, bring to the boil and add the rice. Reduce the heat and cook with the lid off for 20 minutes or until the rice is just cooked but not mushy (don’t worry if the mixture still seems a little runny at this point; it will set a bit more as it cools).

While the rice cooks, make the rhubarb jam. Put the rhubarb in a small saucepan with 1/2 cup of water. Let cook for 5-10 minutes with the lid on, until the rhubarb starts to soften and break down. Add the brown sugar, lemon juice and star anise. Cook over low heat with the lid off until it reaches the consistency of a sticky jam (about 10-20 minutes).

To serve, dish up the rice into 3 or 4 bowls and top with the rhubarb jam, the rockmelon, a little drizzle of olive oil and a few basil leaves. Alternatively, you can put a spoonful of the rhubarb jam in the centre of the bowl, then add the rice and rockmelon on top before drizzling with the oil (the jam will be a nice sweet surprise once you dig down through the creamy rice).