Empress rice pudding.

Empress rice pudding by Michel Roux Jr
Serves 10-12
120g round pudding rice
360ml milk
1 vanilla pod, split
50g caster sugar

For the crème anglaise
4 medium free-range egg yolks
100g caster sugar
375ml milk
3 gelatine leaves
250ml whipping cream, whipped
Vegetable oil, for greasing

For the fruit
250ml water
100g caster sugar
180g mixed dried fruit (apricots, prunes, cherries, to taste)
2 tbsp pistachio nuts
Kirsch, to taste

- In a small bowl allow dried fruit to soak in pistachio +Kirsch + sugar syrup while the rice pudding is cooking.
- In a small bowl, mix the chopped cherries and the kirsch together. Allow them to soak while the rice pudding is cooking.
- In a medium-size saucepan over low heat, bring the milk, sugar, and salt to nearly scalding temperature. The milk should not be allowed to simmer, but it will steam when stirred at the near-scalding point.
- Add the rice to the milk and continue cooking over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 22 minutes, until the rice is creamy and tender. Remove the rice pudding from the heat and stir in the cherries and their soaking liquid, along with the vanilla extract.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the creme anglaise, and then fold the custard mixture into the rice pudding. Pour the rice mixture into a lightly buttered mold and allow the empress rice pudding to chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
- Heat the apricot jam over low heat until it has melted. Invert the chilled empress rice pudding onto a serving platter and brush the entire surface with the melted apricot jam.