BLAME it on the weather. But the staff and customers of The Continental in Quarry Bay are into comfort food. When rice pudding went on the menu recently, it usurped anything chocolate.
'Chocolate always sells,' says pastry chef Debby Waitkus. 'But when we put rice pudding on, it was because Andrea [owner Andrea Steadman] and I were in the mood, not to see how popular it would be.' Why such a homely dessert would elbow out flourless chocolate cake, tiramasu, cappuccino cheesecake, lemon curd tart or giant chocolate chip cookies goes back, she guesses, to the attraction of what the English call nursery desserts - the allure of dairy products, soft, eggy textures and familiar, non-threatening flavours.
'Right after the holidays, the weather was grey and wet, it was gloomy,' she said. 'One day we started talking about things we wanted to eat like apple cobbler and puddings. That's how it got on the menu.' But spies in the neighbourhood found the style of her rice pudding changes every few days. On one Monday, the texture was creamy. Two days later, it was moist but firm.
'We can't agree on recipes,' Ms Waitkus said. 'Andrea likes it the consistency of porridge, served warm. I prefer a firmer style, like the kind I grew up with.' Cooks and rice pudding fans, take note. Pick your favourite style, then use the appropriate type of rice. To achieve the creamy texture Ms Waitkus uses the traditional short grain rice, such as Thai Fragrant rice. For a firmer dessert, she uses the Italian rice used in risotto, Arborio.
Like most home-style desserts, the recipe isn't exact. She uses one part rice to four or five parts cream. Though plain rice pudding is the favourite, she often adds rum or brandy-soaked currants or raisins.
The pudding, flavoured with vanilla and dusted with cinnamon, is made in a 10-cup ceramic casserole. BRUSH up on your geography and find out exactly where South Tyrol is while dining on Italian cuisine.
