Arroz con leche

Ingredients

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• 120 g short-grain rice

• 250 ml water

• 1.5 l whole milk

• 120 g sugar

• 30 g butter

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 strip of lemon peel (no white pith)

• Sugar and ground cinnamon to serve

Preparation

1. 01Cook the rice in waterBring the water to the boil with the cinnamon stick and lemon peel. Add the rice and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the water has almost evaporated (about 20 minutes).
2. 02Add the milkAdd the hot milk little by little and cook over low heat, stirring often, for about 30 minutes, until the rice is tender and the mixture creamy.
3. 03Butter and sugarAdd the butter and, once the rice is cooked, the sugar. Cook 10 more minutes, stirring constantly, until you reach the creamy texture you want.
4. 04Rest and serveRemove the cinnamon and lemon peel. Divide into bowls or a serving dish and let it cool slightly.
5. 05Caramelise (optional)For the Asturian finish, sprinkle sugar on top and burn it with a hot iron or a kitchen torch until it forms a golden, crisp layer. You can also serve it plain with ground cinnamon.

Variations

• Some recipes add a little cream to the milk for an even creamier texture.
• In the classic Asturian version, sugar is burnt on top with an iron or torch; elsewhere it is served with ground cinnamon only.
• Some people make it in a pressure cooker, with all the ingredients together.