Arroz con Leche

Ingredients

• 200 g long grain rice
• 500 ml water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 3 cloves
• a pinch of salt
• 500 ml whole milk
• 1 tin evaporated milk
• 200 g condensed milk
• 60 g raisins
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• a scrape of nutmeg

Method

1. Cook the rice in spiced water first

   Simmer the rice in the water with the cinnamon, cloves and salt for fifteen minutes, until the water is gone and the grains are almost tender.

   15 min

2. Water before milk, always

   Rice will not soften properly in milk — the fat and sugar get in the way and you end up with hard grains in a thick sauce. Water first is the whole technique.

3. Add the milks

   Pour in the milk and evaporated milk and cook at a bare simmer for twenty minutes, stirring often, until it is creamy and the grains have opened.

   20 min

4. Sweeten at the end

   Stir in the condensed milk and raisins and cook five minutes more. Sweetening earlier slows the rice down and risks catching.

   5 min

5. Loose off the heat

   Take it off looser than you want it, stir in the vanilla and grate over nutmeg. It thickens hard in the fridge, and Dominicans eat it cold as often as warm.