Eating the seasons isn’t limited to fruits and vegetables when there are so many ways to work them into delicious recipes.
In Jamie Oliver’s new Channel 4 show, Jamie: What To Eat This Week, the British chef cooks the summer calendar – including juicy red strawberries.
Sharing his recipe for creamy rice pudding with a quick homemade strawberry jam, Jamie said: “Strawberries, I love ’em! When they’re in season, run and get them because you can’t fake that magnificent flavour.
“For an easy, dreamy dessert fit for sharing with a party of pals, I’m using the season’s joyful sweet treats of summer to elevate creamy rice pudding with some homemade strawberry jam. It’s a stunning dinner party dessert served up on a platter for sharing.”
The rice pudding couldn’t be more simple to whip up with just five ingredients required, and the jam has a uniquely British twist – a dash of Pimms.
Method
Making the rice pudding is easy, but it’s best to start with the jam to allow time for it to cool. First, wash and hull the berries then place them in a pan with the caster sugar, Pimm’s and bay leaf.
Speed peel in some strips of orange peel and cook on medium heat for half an hour, stirring the whole time.
Now tip the rice into a large, wide, non-stick casserole pan over medium-low heat and pour over the milk. Stir in the golden caster sugar and halve the vanilla pod before scraping out the seeds.
Add the seeds and pod to the pan, and leave to simmer for half an hour until tender, stirring regularly again.
If you have any extra strawberries, wash, hull them and gently mash them in a bowl then add to one side of the pan just before the jam is done for a chunkier texture.
Remove and discard the bay leaf and orange peel from the pan and switch off the heat. Stir the crème fraîche through the rice pudding, then pour onto a serving platter.
Top with a good few tablespoons of the jam (save the rest for another day), then use a spoon to ripple it through the rice pudding.
To serve, crumble over some ready-made meringues and extra strawberries. Jamie even adds a few edible flowers for decoration.
