La Teurgoule: a delicious baked rice pudding from northern France

La Teurgoule: a delicious baked rice pudding from northern France

French cuisine is one of the world’s best, and its traditions have brought many cakes and desserts that still surprise palates. Thanks to its combination of flavours, aromas and textures, this rice and milk dessert, known as La Teurgoule, is one of the best options to take after eating.

An incredible rice pudding

French chefs cuisiniers were the ones who named most of the culinary techniques known today, and pastry was one of the areas most benefited by their dedication. Their perfectionism in the elaboration of desserts, with extreme care of temperature and the correct use of ingredients, allows them to create delicious sweets. In addition, French cuisine is characterized by the presentations of its desserts, which are not only full of flavor, but also visually attractive. There are several traditional desserts in France, such as éclairs, crêpes, tiramisu, profiteroles, millefeuille and gâteau d'opéra.

However, one of the most outstanding is La Teurgoule, a delicious baked rice pudding that is pretty easy to prepare at home. It is a rice pudding from Normandy, consisting of rice cooked with milk, sweetened with sugar, and flavored with cinnamon. Unlike other recipes, it is prepared in a clay pot or in a deep terracotta dish, inside the oven. Baked at low temperature for several hours, this prolonged cooking creates a thick, caramelized, brown crust.

Method of preparation

For the preparation of La Teurgoule, just a few easy-to-find ingredients are needed.

1. Arborio or medium grain rice. Thanks to its high starch content, this rice acquires a creamy texture when cooked. It does not soften and keeps thick, perfect for preparation.
2. Whole or semi-skimmed milk, to guarantee the creaminess in the recipe.
3. Cane or granulated sugar, but you should not use brown sugar.
4. Cinnamon, to aromatize the preparation.

Once you have all the ingredients, you should follow the steps below to prepare this typical French dessert.

1. In the clay pot or in the terracotta dish, you should pour the rice first, it is not necessary to grease the dish.
2. Then the rest of the ingredients are placed in a separate saucepan: milk, sugar, and ground cinnamon. Mix them very well, let it boil, and pour over the rice.
3. Next, place the dish with the preparation on the bottom of the oven, properly preheated, and let it bake at a low temperature of 300°F (150 C), for about three and a half hours.
4. As this time passes, you should have a brown crust on top and creaminess on the bottom, indicating that it will be ready to serve.

Another approach

There is another way to prepare La Teurgoule, and it is an equally delicious variant that is worth trying, where additional ingredients are used that are easy to buy in the market.

To prepare it it is necessary to have the following ingredients:

•       5.29 ounces of round or short-grained rice.
•       7 ounces of brown sugar.
•       1.6 qt (1.5 liters) of whole milk.
•       3.3 fl oz (100 ml) of cream.
•       2.8 ounces of butter.
•       2 tablespoons of cinnamon.

Method of preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150 C).
2. Place the rice in a large bowl, add brown sugar and cinnamon and mix everything together.
3. When mixing the ingredients very well, add the cream, butter and milk in the preparation.
4. Then introduce the bowl with the mixture when the oven reaches 300°F, leaving to bake for one hour at this temperature. A heavy, sturdy dish can be used under the bowl to prevent the oven from getting dirty in case milk spills.
5. After one hour the oven heat should be lowered to 266°F (130 C), and baked for another three hours.
6. Take the rice pudding out of the oven and let it cool for about twenty minutes, and turn it into another bowl. The upper skin should be dark, and the inside should be cooked and creamy, almost liquid.
7. Then serve the rice pudding, it can be warm or warm, along with vanilla ice cream, or homemade apple sorbet.

These are simple steps to follow and enjoy the rice pudding typical of French gastronomy, without having to be an expert in cooking, or bother to get special ingredients, and both preparations guarantee an exquisite result. No doubt the guests to a dinner or meal will stay with their mouths open.