Icelandic rice pudding

“This little twist on good-old rice pudding is creamy, sticky, fresh and fruity – delicious! ”

2 handfuls dried fruit, such as cranberries, sour cherries and blueberries

3 tablespoons caster sugar , plus extra to taste

120 g pudding rice

750 ml skimmed milk

250 ml single cream

1 stick cinnamon

1 vanilla pod

crème fraîche , to serve

fresh redcurrants , to serve

Method

1. Rice pudding is an old English favourite, but it’s also really big in Iceland. They like to serve it with a sharp sauce made from red fruit, which cuts through the richness of the creamy sticky pudding beautifully – clever and absolutely delicious!
2. Put the dried fruit in a stainless steel pan with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and enough water to cover. Put on the hob and heat gently for 10 minutes, then add 5 tablespoons of cold water and whiz in a blender. Push through a sieve, taste and add a little sugar if necessary. Place the rice, milk, cream, remaining sugar and cinnamon in a deep pot and heat gently. Score the vanilla pod lengthways, scrape the seeds out, adding both to the pot. Stir well and bring gently to the boil.
3. Simmer very gently for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring every now and then until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is just cooked. Spoon the cooked rice pudding into a serving dish, swirl the fruit sauce into it and top with a dollop of crème fraîche. Scatter with fresh redcurrants before serving.