Life

James Street South Cookery School: Rice pudding with a twist and berries a la Alain

Rice pudding served with a dollop of delicious-sounding homemade lemon curd
Rice pudding served with a dollop of delicious-sounding homemade lemon curd Rice pudding served with a dollop of delicious-sounding homemade lemon curd

LAST week I was in London at a superb festival devoted to meat and all a carnivore could hope for. During my time in the city I sampled a classic Alain Ducasse dish. Ducasse was the archetypal chef for flavours and I was always researching his methods and reading up on him as much as possible when I was a young chef. He would still be a common point of reference for new and current chefs that are classically trained.

The dish in question was frozen berries with white chocolate sauce, so I have recreated the dish for you this week. Yes, it is so simple but so elegant and delicious – it is a great way to finish off a dinner.

I have decided to pair this with another dessert and one of my all-time favourites is rice pudding. Rice puddings make regular appearances on all of the menus across the group’s restaurants and this time I have paired it with lemon curd to give it a fresher, cleaner and lighter taste.

LEMON CURD RICE PUDDING

(Makes 600ml)

4 lemons, juiced

100g unsalted butter, diced

300g sugar

4 eggs, beaten

Place the lemon juice, butter and sugar in a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Make sure that the water does not go into the bowl as it will curdle and affect the mix. Stir well until the butter is fully melted and the sugar is dissolved.

Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add into the warm bowl, whisking gently until the mixture thickens up. You now have the curd for this dish which you need to cool, place in sterile jars, seal and place in the fridge. It is always best to label the batches. This will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

For the rice pudding element:

270ml milk

200ml double cream

1 vanilla pod, split in half

90g pudding rice

4 egg yolks

75g caster sugar

Start by placing the milk, double cream and vanilla in a pot and place on the heat until the mixture is boiling. Add the rice and cook until the rice is soft, and stir ensuring that the milk does not burn the bottom of the pot. Reduce the heat and add the sugar and cook until dissolved. Once cooked remove from the heat.

Serve with a dollop of cold lemon curd.

ICED BERRIES WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE SAUCE

600g good quality white chocolate

600ml double cream

1kg frozen berries, eg blackcurrants, redcurrants and raspberries, chopped strawberries or blackberries, mixed

Place the chocolate and cream into a bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring every so often. When the sauce is hot you are ready to serve: place the berries on to serving plates and leave to sit for a minute or two to take the freeze off the berries. Place the chocolate sauce into a serving jug, cover the berries generously and serve.