This is without doubt the best rice pudding I have ever eaten, including my Mum’s, and Nigel Slater’s. 
Comfort food in its true sense, I could eat it out of the saucepan. It’s a Spanish classic, the recipe is from Omar Allibhoy’s book Tapas Revolution, and is ridiculously easy to make.
1 litre full fat milk
½ cinnamon stick
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped [or 1 tsp vanilla extract]
1 lemon, the zest pared into strips [without white pith attached]
100g Spanish bomba rice [alternatively, any short-grain or pudding rice]
110g sugar
30g unsalted butter 
Pour the milk into a pan, add the cinnamon stick, vanilla pod & seeds, and about three strips of lemon zest. Place over a medium to high heat and bring to the boil. Stir the milk a few times as it heats up to stop the bottom burning.
Be careful with the milk, don’t let it catch on the bottom of the pan, don’t let it bubble up and boil over. You really need to stand by the hob and stir, don’t leave it. 
Just as the milk starts to bubble and rise up, add the rice and stir. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring at all times. Next, stir in the sugar and cook for another 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the butter. Keep stirring so that the butter emulsifies as it melts. Remove and discard the lemon zest, cinnamon strip and vanilla pod. Allow the rice to cool, stirring every 30 minutes or so. 
I defy you to wait that long before eating it. We ate half for supper, and the other half for lunch the next day. Transfer the rice into a clean saucepan before reheating. 
5 to remember
la comomidad – comfort
ridículo/a – ridiculously
cada – every
recalentar – to reheat
derretido/a – melted
‘Tapas Revolution’ by Omar Allibhoy
Notes on a Spanish Valley 
Unfortunately rice pudding is one of those dishes that I was forced to eat as part of school dinners so I can’t even look at your photo’s of this dish 😦
It sounds like you enjoy it though 🙂
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Me too: school rice pudding, burnt skin on the top! But this is worth trying. SD
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I wish I had the patience to stand by the stove and stir the rice pudding so it cooked properly like this. It sounds delicious and I just wish I could try it without having to make it!
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It doesn’t take long, honest! SD
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Hey! your rice pudding is very much similar to our payokh/kheer. I love it 😀
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Payokh? I must try it. SD
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In my language we call it payokh & you must definitely try it if you get the chance 🙂
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My Spanish neighbour, when we both still lived in London, used to make a mean rice pudding. She’ always bring me a bowl full, yum!
My friend has just pressed a book on English desserts into my hand and told me she’d make me whatever I want. I can barely contain my excitement… ahrgh, now I have to make a choice!!!
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It’s one of those dishes of which there are thousands of variations and everyone thinks theirs is the best! SD
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Oh my heavens. I adore rice pudding. I will think about nothing else for the rest of the day.
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Please go and make it! You will not be disappointed. SD
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I hate Spanish rice pudding. My neighbour is always trying to force it onto me. Too sweet, bland, and just yuk.
On the other hand, I did like my mother’s, lots and lots of nutmeg, very rich and creamy, and I adored the burnt skin. Our school one was crap. I think it was large tins of ambrosia and the skin on that wasn’t burnt, it just sort of sat there horridly. Vile.
Spanish rice should be saved for paella. Or to add to bean casseroles.
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Try this one, really it is excellent. You can always add less sugar. SD
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