Tarakjuk

Ingredients

• 120g short-grain white rice
• 300ml cold water for blending
• 600ml whole milk
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 2 tsp honey or caster sugar, to serve
• 1 tbsp pine nuts, to serve

Before you cook

• Rinse the rice in several changes of water until the water runs almost clear.
• Cover the rice with cold water and leave it to soak for 2 hours, then drain it well.
• Blend the drained rice with 300ml cold water for 2 minutes until you have a smooth white slurry.
• Pour the slurry through a fine sieve into a saucepan, pressing the solids to get every bit through.

Steps

1. Set the pan of rice slurry over medium-low heat and stir it constantly with a wooden spoon.
2. Keep stirring for about 5 minutes, until the slurry turns from chalky white to glossy and thickens like custard.
3. Pour in 200ml of the milk and stir until it is fully worked in.
4. Add the rest of the milk in two more additions, stirring each one smooth before adding the next.
5. Lower the heat to its gentlest setting and cook for 12 minutes, stirring often so nothing catches on the base.
6. Check the texture, which should coat the back of a spoon and fall in a slow ribbon.
7. Stir in the salt, taste, and add a splash more milk if it has gone past the ribbon stage.
8. Ladle the porridge into warm bowls and scatter the pine nuts over the top.
9. Put the honey on the table so each person sweetens their own bowl, which is how it was served at court.