For most of my life, I have considered rice pudding to be a classic American dessert, something that is served at every NYC luncheonette. Yet, it is cooked with coconut milk in West Africa; the French version, riz au lait, dates back to the 12th century; arroz con leche is common in Latin America; and the cuisines of India, China and Indonesia also include some form of rice pudding/porridge. Still, it is considered homey and commonplace, if not outdated.

Then I met Stéphane Jégo of L’Ami Jean in Paris. Over 15 years ago, he took cooked rice and milk and turned it into a celebrated Parisian dessert by lightening the pudding with whipped cream and pairing it with a mousse-like whipped caramel and broken pieces of praline. It is brought to the table in three separate bowls—compose your helping as you like. This version tends towards the divine end of the culinary spectrum and for anyone who is not impressed, I say humbug!

And Jégo is the personification of the new-wave Paris bistro chef, the polar opposite of Ralph Fiennes’ neurotic despot in “The Menu”—bearded, energetic, slightly piratical, and with more than twinkle in his eye when it comes to cooking and dining. He knows that his rice pudding is a magic trick of sorts—something deeply humble but tricked out like Marie Antoinette—and the fame and fortune that came along for the ride offer him a sense of enduring amusement.

The challenge back at Milk Street was to (1) come up with a recipe that was close to the original and (2) keep it simple enough for a home cook. To be fair, this is a three-part recipe (unless you skip the praline) and there is a bit of chilling time involved between steps, so quick and easy is out the window.

For the rice pudding itself, the first question was what type of rice? Our first thought was Arborio or carnaroli, but Jégo said to avoid both varieties—they’re harder than the French short-grain rice he uses. After a handful of tests, we found that Japanese-style short- or medium-­grain rice produced a pudding texture similar to Jégo’s. We cooked it in water, then finished with milk, sugar and vanilla for an extra 20 minutes. The texture of Jégo’s pudding was light and the easy answer was to fold in whipped cream when the pudding had chilled.

Next up was the caramel cream and, after a variety of dead ends, we found the perfect solution. Make a caramel with butter, sugar and cream; chill it; and then whip it for just a minute or so without any additions. Even if you never make the rice pudding, this whipped caramel cream is a gem and should be part of your repertoire. (I might even put it on steak.)

Praline is simple; pour caramelized sugar syrup over toasted nuts and sprinkle with coarse salt. Done. Some cooks have commented that they skip the praline and opt for dried fruit and nuts but for me, that’s a no-go. You can purchase praline nuts and chop them up instead of making it yourself (or just use chopped toasted nuts), but this recipe demands that you jump in with both feet—the salty, slightly burnt taste of the praline sets off the sweetness and creamy texture of the rest of the dessert. This recipe deserves commitment.

If you want to prepare the recipe in advance, you can refrigerate the cooled pudding and caramel for a few days. Once the whipped cream is folded in, the pudding will hold for one day. So, yes, this is a make-ahead recipe ideal for a dinner party or the holidays.

I know—you think rice pudding is an unwanted blast from the past, but I assure you that this recipe will seal your reputation as a great cook. And the leftovers, if there are any, are all yours the next day.

Christopher Kimball

Christopher Kimball is founder of Milk Street, which produces Milk Street Magazine, Milk Street Television on PBS, and the weekly public radio show Milk Street Radio. He founded Cook’s Magazine in 1980 and was host and executive producer of America’s Test Kitchen until 2016. Kimball is the author of several books, including "The Yellow Farmhouse" and "Fannie’s Last Supper."