Creamy Coconut Cardamom Rice Pudding - Jasmine rice

Method

• Cook the rice:
• Preheat the oven to 325F.
• Place the rice in a strainer and rinse with cold water.
• Place the rice in a heavy-bottomed medium-sized saucepan with 2 cups cold water.
• Bring the rice to a boil and immediately remove the pan from the heat.
• Strain the rice and discard the starchy water.
• Place the blanched rice back in the pan and add the sugar, coconut milk, milk, and salt.
• Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, and cover the pan with aluminum foil or the lid.
• Place the pan in the oven and bake until the rice expands, and absorbs all the liquids, 30 minutes.
• (If the pan is not oven-proof, transfer the rice and liquid to a metal or glass baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.)
• If there is still runny milk in the pan, continue to bake, covered, for another 5 to 10 minutes.
• When the rice is done, remove it from the oven, leave it covered, and set it aside.
• Make the custard (see "Cooking a stirred custard and testing for doneness" in Notes, below):
• While the rice is baking, make the custard.
• Using the bottom of a small frying pan, crush the cardamom pods to split them open.
• In a heavy saucepan combine the cardamom pods and seeds, 1/2 cup of the sugar, milk, and cream and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
• Remove from the heat and allow the cardamom to steep for 10 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, egg, and remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and briskly whisk for 1 minute.
• Using a ladle, slowly whisk some of the hot cream into the egg mixture to warm it.
• Gradually pour the warmed egg mixture into the hot cream, whisking the cream constantly as you pour.
• Cook the custard over medium heat, stirring continuously and scraping the bottom with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Remove from the heat and strain the custard to remove the cracked cardamom pods and seeds.
• Combine the custard and the rice:
• Scoop the rice into a large mixing bowl.
• Pour the hot custard over the rice and, using a whisk, slowly whisk until all of the rice granules are dispersed evenly and the mixture is thoroughly combined.
• Add the vanilla extract.
• Allow the rice pudding to cool completely.
• Serving Suggestions:
• Serve this pudding by itself--it is wonderfully satisfying.
• Variations:
• Tangerine and Lemon Verbena Rice Pudding:
• One of my other favorite flavor combinations is lemon verbena and tangerine.
• Leave out the vanilla and the cardamom, and add 2 tablespoons dried lemon verbena tea leaves or 6 fresh leaves and the zest of one tangerine.
• Cook the custard with the zest and the leaves, and then strain them out when the custard is done.
• Rice Pudding Brulee:
• In a small coastal town in northern Spain, I had an amazing lemony anise version of this pudding served in a flat gratin dish and bruleed on top.
• If you would like to serve this rice pudding like creme brulee, use a 6-ounce ladle to portion the hot rice pudding into 8 gratin or creme brulee dishes.
• Tap the dishes on the counter until the rice pudding settles and flattens out.
• Chill the pudding for 1 hour.
• Coat the top of the custards with granulated sugar and brulee.