Sütlaç: Turkish Rice Pudding

Milk puddings sit lighter than most desserts, and sütlaç is the one Turks reach for most often. It takes a little practice to judge the consistency the first time, but it is forgiving — and good in every state between loose and set.

It can be made on the stove or finished under the broiler for a browned top. This is the stovetop version.

Serves 6
Chilling time: 2 to 3 hours

Ingredients

3/4 cup short-grain rice
3 cups hot water
4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons rice flour
Pinch of salt

To finish

Ground cinnamon
Ground pistachios

Method

Rinse the rice and put it in a pot with the hot water. Simmer until the grains are completely soft and most of the water has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. The rice needs to be fully cooked before the milk goes in — once there is milk in the pot it stops softening.

Add 3 cups of the milk slowly, stirring.

In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining 1 cup of milk with the rice flour until smooth, with no lumps.

Take a couple of spoonfuls of the hot rice mixture and whisk it into the bowl. This warms the slurry so it does not seize when it hits the pot.

Pour the slurry back into the pot in a slow stream, stirring constantly.

Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring, until it thickens.

Add the sugar and the pinch of salt and keep stirring until fully dissolved. Sugar goes in after the starch has thickened — added early it slows the thickening down.

Let it come to a boil for a moment, then take the pot off the heat.

It should coat the back of a spoon but still pour easily. It sets considerably as it cools, so pull it looser than you think you want.

Divide among bowls and cool to room temperature.

Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, until cold and set.

Dust with cinnamon and ground pistachios before serving.

Chef’s note

For fırın sütlaç, the baked version, pour the hot pudding into shallow ovenproof dishes, set them in a roasting pan of hot water, and put them under a hot broiler until the tops are blistered dark brown. Cool and chill as above. The scorched skin is the whole appeal.