A page from the family cookbook

Nana Serb's Sunday Rice Pudding

Birmingham, England

Dessert

The story

“Every Sunday after church, Nana Serb put this pudding in the oven before we sat down for lunch. By the time we reached dessert, the house smelled of vanilla and nutmeg. She never measured a thing — she simply knew. One spoonful still takes us straight back to her kitchen.”

This recipe now belongs to every family who cooks it.

The method

  1. 1Heat the oven to 150°C fan. Butter a medium ovenproof dish.
  2. 2Add the rice, sugar and vanilla to the dish. Pour in the milk and stir gently.
  3. 3Dust generously with nutmeg and dot the surface with butter.
  4. 4Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, stirring once after the first 45 minutes, until the rice is tender and the top is golden.
  5. 5Let it stand for ten minutes before serving. Nana Serb always insisted it was best with a little extra nutmeg on top.

Cook's notes & swaps

A little help from the OPR kitchen

These are optional pointers for making the recipe your own while keeping the spirit of the original.

Vanilla

A vanilla pod gives the fullest flavour, but vanilla extract works beautifully too. Use one teaspoon of extract in its place.

The best bit

Do not rush the resting time. Ten minutes lets the pudding settle and gives it that soft, comforting texture Nana Serb loved.

Pass it on

A good recipe is better when it's shared.

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