Torta di Riso alla Bolognese

Ingredients

• 1 litre whole milk
• 200g Arborio or other short-grain rice
• 200g caster sugar
• A pinch of salt
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 100g blanched almonds
• 60g amaretti biscuits
• 100g candied citron or candied orange peel
• 3 whole eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 50ml amaretto or almond liqueur
• A pinch of ground cinnamon
• Butter and fine breadcrumbs, for the tin

Before you cook

• Butter a 24cm square or round tin and dust it with fine breadcrumbs
• Chop the candied peel into small dice
• Toast the almonds in a dry pan for 4 minutes, cool them and chop them finely
• Crush the amaretti to coarse crumbs
• Beat the whole eggs and yolks together in a large bowl

Steps

1. Pour the milk into a wide heavy pan and add the sugar, salt and lemon zest.
2. Bring the milk to a bare simmer over medium-low heat.
3. Add the rice and stir it once.
4. Cook the rice uncovered over low heat for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring regularly, until it is very soft and the mixture is thick and creamy with barely any loose milk.
5. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the chopped almonds, amaretti crumbs, candied peel and cinnamon.
6. Leave the rice to cool for at least 45 minutes, until it is no warmer than your hand.
7. Heat the oven to 170C.
8. Beat the amaretto into the eggs.
9. Fold the egg mixture thoroughly into the cooled rice, making sure there are no pockets of egg.
10. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and level the surface.
11. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until the top is deep brown and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean.
12. Cool the cake completely in its tin, which takes at least 2 hours.
13. Cut the cake into diamonds and keep them covered for a day before eating, which is when the flavour is best.