A seemingly simple dessert, requiring only a handful of ingredients, has captivated generations. Rice pudding, or arroz con leche, is one such example, traditionally made with milk, rice, sugar, and little else. However, a new take on the classic, developed by Spanish chef Dani García, demonstrates how a chef’s expertise can elevate even the most familiar dishes.
García, who earned three Michelin stars in 2018 before shifting his focus to more accessible cuisine at his brasserie Bibo, recently shared his recipe on his YouTube channel, Como Dani.
The chef is emphatic about certain ingredients being excluded. “I absolutely forbid lemon and orange peels. What are you making, a gin and tonic?” García stated, arguing that citrus peels detract from the rice’s flavor and can impart bitterness if not properly prepared. “Many people peel them badly, leaving in the white pith, which ends up making it bitter.” Instead of citrus, García infuses the milk with a natural vanilla bean, split to release its seeds. “Vanilla or cinnamon, that’s acceptable, up to a point,” he concedes.
Although acknowledging a preference against cinnamon, García advises against combining it with vanilla: “Cinnamon and vanilla don’t coexist. They’re fine in the same pantry, but not on the same plate.” He believes vanilla offers a more delicate aroma, better complementing the richness of cream and butter.
García’s technique diverges significantly from conventional rice pudding methods, employing a risotto-like approach. He cooks the rice in a wide pan, gradually adding warm milk and cream, stirring constantly for approximately 45 minutes. “Not all recipes can be made quickly. To be truly incredible, they require time,” he explained. The rice-to-liquid ratio is notably low—just 45 grams of rice per liter of milk—allowing the grains to fully absorb the liquid without becoming overly thick.
The addition of sugar and butter occurs at the very end, after removing the pan from the heat. This, García says, achieves “that texture it should have when hot, so that when it’s cold, it sets.” He uses a French butter with a higher fat content to enhance creaminess, but notes that standard supermarket butter will also yield excellent results.
Once the mixture is smooth, the rice pudding is covered with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface and refrigerated for at least three hours. It can be finished with a caramelized sugar crust using a kitchen torch or served plain. “Honestly, I eat it natural, just as it is,” the chef confessed. At Bibo, it is served in a deep bowl with a piece of cotton candy and mint leaves.
While rice pudding is often associated with the Spanish region of Asturias, where it’s traditionally denser and topped with burnt sugar, its origins trace back much further. References to rice cooked in milk appear in 10th-century manuscripts from the caliphate of Baghdad, known as arruziyya. The recipe traveled westward through trade routes between the Indian subcontinent, Persia, and the Mediterranean, and is documented in 13th-century Hispano-Muslim manuscripts.
In the Iberian Peninsula, the recipe adapted to local ingredients, resulting in variations like menjar blanc in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, made with almond milk and rice flour. Asturias developed its popular version thanks to the abundance of cow’s milk.