Glutenfree Rice Pudding with stewed strawberries

Spring is finally here, and what better way to celebrate than by indulging in a real spring dessert on my balcony while basking in the sun? I immediately turned to one of my favourite cookbooks: La Tartine Gourmande by Béatrice Peltre, because her desserts are just the best with seasonal fruits and fresh ingredients. On Saturday I bought the most delicious sweet strawberries at the farmers market, so it didn’t take long to find the perfect recipe – Glutenfree Rice Pudding with strawberries stewed in lemongrass and lime.

It’s not a fast and simple recipe, but it’s worth every minute slaving in the kitchen. What I love most about the recipe is the juice of the strawberries mixing with the rice pudding, and the hint of lemongrass and ginger that gives it that extra zing. It is best eaten luke warm, as my experience is that its flavours won’t do it justice when refridgerated.

(Scroll down for the full recipe)

Rice Pudding with Strawberries stewed in Lemongrass and Lime

from La Tartine Gourmande by Béatrice Peltre

yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 lemongrass stalks
• 40 g slivered almonds
• 450 g strawberries, hulled and diced
• zest of 1 1/2 organic limes (I used 1)
• juice of 1 organic lime
• 75 g blond cane sugar
• 2 Tbsp water
• 550 ml whole milk
• 100 g risotto rice
• 2,5 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled
• 60 ml unsweetened coconut milk

Remove the thicker outer layer of the lemongrass stalks. Slice one stalk into three pieces. Grind the other one with the outer layers, using a coffee or spice grinder (I don’t own one, so I used a food processor).

Toast the slivered almonds in a frying pan, until lightly browned.

Combine 280 g of the strawberries, the zest of one lime, 1 tsp of the ground lemongrass, 2 Tbsp (20 g) of the sugar and the water in a small pot. Bring to a boil, the turn down the heat and let it simmer until the strawberries soften but still keep their shape. That takes only few minutes. Remove from the heat and add the lime juice. Let cool.

Combine the milk with the 3 lemongrass pieces, the ginger and the zest of 1/2 lime (if you have, I omit that). Bring to a boil, then add the rice. Lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes until the rice is creamy and soft.

Discard the lemongrass and ginger and mix in the rest of the sugar (55 g) and the coconut milk.

Divide the rice pudding among 4 small bowls or 2 larger ones.

Mix the cooked strawberries with the fresh ones. Top the rice pudding with the strawberry compote and the slivered almonds.