Turkish Rice Pudding
Rice pudding with the charm of crème brûlée—that’s Turkish sütlaç, which we tried on a recent trip to Istanbul.
- Makes8 servings
- Cook Time45 minutes
- Active time plus coolingplus chilling
- 2
During a recent trip to Istanbul, we tasted sütlaç—cool, creamy, comforting Turkish rice pudding. With only a few ingredients and no eggs, the dessert tastes of clean, pure rice and dairy—without any heaviness—and is only subtly sweetened. The rice lends creaminess, of course, but a secondary starch is commonly added to help thicken it; we use cornstarch. Classic versions of sütlaç are oven-baked, but we prefer stovetop simmering as it allows us to easily monitor progress. A hallmark of the dessert is a browned surface or “skin” that results from baking. We replicate this with a brief stint under the broiler. The aim is not to produce a crackly crème brûlée crust, but rather a browned layer that adds bittersweet, caramelized flavor. Nuts are a typical garnish, so we finely grate roasted or toasted almonds onto the chilled ramekins just before serving.
Don’t use long-grain rice. Use a high-starch rice, such as Italian Arborio or Japanese-style short-grain, to achieve the correct creamy, velvety consistency. Make sure to use a large saucepan to prevent boiling over, and stir often during simmering, scraping along the bottom of the pan, to ensure the rice doesn’t stick.
Step 1
In a large saucepan, combine the rice and 2½ cups water. Simmer over medium-high, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until tender and the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. If needed, add more water, ¼ cup at a time. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and sugar. Heat the broiler with a rack 6 inches from the heating element.
Step 2
Into the rice, stir the milk and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high, stirring and scraping the pan to prevent sticking. Slowly whisk in the sugar-cornstarch mixture. Reduce to medium-low and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom and sides of the pan, until thick and large bubbles form evenly over the surface, 15 to 20 minutes. Off heat, stir in the vanilla.
Step 3
Evenly divide the pudding among 8 broiler-safe 6-ounce ramekins. Sprinkle the surface of each with 1 teaspoon sugar. Place on a broiler-safe rimmed baking sheet and broil until the sugar is darkly caramelized, 3 to 5 minutes, rotating the baking sheet every minute or so. (Alternatively, use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar.) Refrigerate, uncovered, until fully chilled, at least 3 hours or up to 3 days; if storing for longer than 3 hours, cover with plastic wrap.
Step 4
If garnishing with almonds, before serving, use a wand-style grater to finely grate the almonds onto the surface of the puddings. Serve cold.
