Mastic Milk Pudding

Muhallebi is the plainest kind of dessert — milk, starch, sugar — and mastic is what lifts it out of plain. The resin comes from trees on the Greek island of Chios, and it gives the pudding a faintly pine, faintly floral aroma that nothing else can imitate.

You can find it in Greek and Middle Eastern markets, sold as small hard tears.

Serves 8
Chilling time: 3 hours

Ingredients

2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 small tears of mastic (about 1/4 teaspoon once ground)
7 cups whole milk
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

To finish

Ground cinnamon

Method

Grind the mastic with a teaspoon of the sugar in a mortar until it becomes a fine powder. The sugar is what makes this possible — mastic alone turns gummy and sticks to the pestle. Set aside.

In a bowl, whisk the flour and cornstarch into the cup of water until completely smooth.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks well.

Pour the flour and water mixture into the yolks, whisking as you go.

Add the milk, the remaining sugar, the vanilla and the salt, and whisk everything together.

Pour into a pot and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, until it thickens. Reach into the corners of the pot as you stir — that is where it catches and scorches.

Once it has thickened, add the ground mastic and let it bubble gently for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the mastic at the end, not the beginning. Its aroma is volatile and long cooking drives it off, which is the entire reason you bought it.

Take the pot off the heat and beat with a mixer until completely smooth. This is what gives muhallebi its silky texture rather than a starchy one.

Pour into individual bowls or one large glass dish while still hot.

Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Dust with cinnamon before serving.

Chef’s note

Go easy on the mastic. A little perfumes the whole pot; too much and it turns bitter and medicinal. Three small tears for seven cups of milk is the right ratio — if you are unsure, use less.

Pratik bir tatlı olan muhallebi, hem hafif oluşu hem de ayrı bir tadı oluşundan dolayı, ağızlara yer etmiş bir lezzettir. Peki, bu lezzetin Yunanistan yöresine ait olduğunu biliyor muydunuz? Sakızlı muhallebi tarifi, sofralarımıza Yunanistan sofralarından gelmiş bir tatlı olmakla birlikte sevilen ve adı bilindik bir tariftir. Pratik yapılışı ve harika aroması ise ağızda eşsiz bir tat bırakan sakızlı muhallebi tarifi, tarçının rengiyle birlikte tam bir şölene dönüşüyor. İşte bu tarifin malzemeleri;

Malzemeler: