Why it works: Rice and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 7,374 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Rice Cream
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the rice
Wash the rice well in cold water.
Put the rice into a saucepan with the milk and boil until soft.
Make the mixture
Dissolve the gelatine in a little water and add the sugar.
Pour the gelatine mixture into the rice, then add the whipped cream.
Mix all thoroughly and add a few drops of flavouring essence.
Set and serve
Pour into a mould and let it set.
Once set, turn out and serve with fruit or preserves.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Rice + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,374 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
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Milk + creamtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,399 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Sugar + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together77,875 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Rice + creamtop 23% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,399 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonanone (fruity, floral).
Sugar and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 77,875 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Carolina rice
- Softens in boiling milk to give the dessert its body and creamy base.
- Gelatine
- Sets the mixture so it holds its shape when turned out of the mould.
- Milk
- Cooks the rice and supplies moisture for a soft, smooth texture.
- Thick cream
- Adds richness and a light, silky texture to the set dessert.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the dessert and balances the mild flavour of the rice and milk.
The step that matters
Dissolve the gelatine fully before mixing it in. Gelatine must be completely dissolved before it goes into the rice. Undissolved granules can leave lumps or weak patches, so the dessert may not set evenly.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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