Rice Zuccotto - Zuccotto di Riso

Most zuccotti are made with a creamy filling that's put into a bowl lined with pasta Genovese (or pound cake) and chilled well. Here, instead, we have a combination of rice and crema pasticcera, or pastry cream. The effect is different, but equally good, and as is the case with other zuccotti the recipe is easy and results impressive. To serve 6:

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• ** For the Zuccotto **
• 1/2 cup (100 g) short-medium grained rice along the lines of originario (see note)
• 2 4/5 cups (700 ml) milk
• 2/5 cup (100 ml) heavy cream
• 3 yolks, lightly beaten (see note)
• The grated zest of 2 organically grown lemons
• 1/4 cup (50 g) unsalted butter, in bits
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon Maraschino liqueur
• A pinch of Salt
• ** To Decorate the Zuccotto **
• 2 ounces (50 g) candied orange peel, finely diced
• 2 ounces (50 g) candied citron, finely diced
• 2/5 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon fruit jam (as you prefer; apricot is especially nice)
• A candied cherry

Preparation:

To begin, a couple of notes:

• Riso originario is short-grained, but not as short as something like Arborio. Nor is it as expensive. A long-grained rice will work here. Do not, however, use parboiled.
• About the eggs: This is an older recipe from the days when it was safe to use raw egg. If you have a good organic farmer you trust, you probably still can. If you do not, use commercially prepared egg yolks instead (whatever is available where you live). The final option, which will give a different result, is to stir the yolks into the rice while it is still hot and allow the heat of the rice to cook them. If you do this, stir energetically, spread it out to cool it faster after the eggs are cooked, which will take a few seconds, and continue working it because if you don't the rice-and-eggs will set before you can add the other ingredients.

Back to the recipe: Combine the milk with the grated lemon zest and a pinch of salt in a saucepot and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the rice and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice has absorbed all the milk.

When the rice is done remove the pot from the fire and let it cool. Work the butter, yolks (see above note), and maraschino into the rice. Whip the cream and fold it into the rice mixture. Use the filling to fill a hemispherical pudding mold and chill it in the refrigerator for an hour.

In the meantime, prepare the decorations: Dice the candied fruit. Combine the jam and a tablespoon of water in a small saucepan and heat, stirring, until the mixture is homogeneous. Whip the remaining cream and put it in a pastry bag with a starred nozzle.

To unmold the zuccotto dip the mold into hot water, set a plate over it, and flip both so the zuccotto comes to rest on the plate. Brush the zuccotto with the diluted jam, sprinkle it with the candied citron and orange, and lay a ring of whipped cream around the base, and also at the very top, to serve as a bed for the candied cherry.

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