Choco-Mint Cream Rice

This is a vintage chilled dessert that pulls a neat trick: cooked rice swapped in where you would expect tapioca or gelatin pearls. The grains suspend in a chocolate-gelatin custard that sets up soft and mousse-like, so each spoon has a hint of chew without the heavy starch of a baked pudding.

Mint jelly is the unusual move here. Broken up with a fork and folded through at the last moment, it leaves cool streaks through the chocolate rather than dissolving into uniform flavor. Whipped cream and beaten egg whites folded in at the same stage are what keep the texture airy after the long chill.

Chef Tips

• Use day-old cooked rice that is fully cold. Warm rice will loosen the gelatin and collapse the set.
• Temper the egg yolks slowly into the milk before heating to avoid scrambling over the double boiler.
• Fold whites and cream in two additions. Everything at once deflates the base.
• Chill at least 3 hours, ideally overnight, for the cleanest slice in a spoon.

Variations

• Swap mint jelly for raspberry preserves and skip the mint for a chocolate-raspberry version.
• Use white chocolate chips and peppermint extract for a snow-white mint variation.
• Fold in a handful of crushed chocolate wafers just before spooning into glasses for extra crunch.