Step 1

Before starting this Riz Impératrice recipe, organise the necessary ingredients for the candied fruits.

Step 2

Macerate the candied fruit cubes in the kirsch syrup. Stir at regular intervals.

Step 3

For the rice pudding: Organise all the necessary ingredients.

Step 4

Blanching the rice: Place the rice into a saucepan filled with cold water.

Step 5

Bring to a boil.

Step 6

When the preparation first comes to a boil...

Step 7

... strain through a fine sieve...

Step 8

... and rinse with cold water.

Step 9

Cooking the rice: Heat the milk.

Step 10

Cut a vanilla pod lengthwise.

Step 11

Using one half only, scrape the seeds out...

Step 12

... and place the pod and seeds in the milk.

Step 13

Add the castor sugar...

Step 14

... and the butter.

Step 15

When the milk starts boiling...

Step 16

... add the blanched rice...

Step 17

... and combine.

Step 18

Continue cooking over a slow and steady heat for 25 or 30 minutes, stirring often.

Step 19

Make sure the preparation does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

Step 20

For the Bavarian cream: Soak the gelatine sheets in a big bowl filled with cold water.

Step 21

Pour the castor sugar over the egg yolks.

Step 22

Blanch with a whisk.

Step 23

Using the other half of the vanilla pod, scrape the seeds out and add the seeds and pod to the milk. Bring to a boil.

Step 24

Don't forget to stir the rice in the other saucepan.

Step 25

When the milk starts boiling...

Step 26

... pour 1/3 over the blanched egg yolks.

Step 27

Combine well.

Step 28

Add this preparation to the remaining milk...

Step 29

... and cook 'à la nappe' (i.e. until the consistency is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon).

Step 30

When the preparation reaches a temperature between 82 and 85°C, pass through a chinois or a fine sieve.

Step 31

Press down on the preparation with the whisk to extract as much flavour as possible.

Step 32

Strain the gelatine, squeezing it between your hands.

Step 33

Add the gelatine to the hot cream.

Step 34

Mix well until completely dissolved.

Step 35

Leave the preparation to cool down to 30°C, stirring often.

Step 36

Beat the whipping cream until you obtain a whipped cream.

Step 37

Don't forget to stir the rice in the other saucepan.

Step 38

Reserve the whipped cream in the fridge.

Step 39

The rice is cooked when almost all the cream has been absorbed.

Step 40

Transfer into a recipient and leave to cool down to 30°C.

Step 41

Assembling the cake: Gather all the preparations on your kitchen worktop.

Step 42

The whipped cream, the rice pudding at about 30°C...

Step 43

... the Bavarian cream (set but not jellified) at about 30°C and the macerated candied fruit.

Step 44

Add a little Bavarian cream to the rice...

Step 45

... and stir to soften the preparation. Remove the vanilla pod.

Step 46

Add the rest of the Bavarian cream...

Step 47

... and combine again.

Step 48

Add the macerated candied fruit, along with the syrup.

Step 49

Combine well.

Step 50

Check the temperature of the preparation, which should not exceed 30°C. For this step, I recommend using a digital thermometer with probe.

Step 51

Add one third of the whipped cream.

Step 52

Fold gently.

Step 53

Add the rest of the whipped cream...

Step 54

... and fold gently until the preparation is homogeneous.

Step 55

Using an oil spray, grease a tinplate rosace round mould. This operation is essential to ensure an easy release from the mould later. If you don't have a spray, simply use a little oil to grease the mould. Make sure you do not use butter!

Step 56

Using a ladle...

Step 57

... fill the mould with the rice preparation...

Step 58

... up to the rim.

Step 59

Cover the surface with cling film...

Step 60

... and let set in the fridge for at least two hours. Ideally, this recipe should be prepared the day before, then stored overnight in the fridge.

Step 61

For the finish: Gently remove the cling film.

Step 62

Release the rice pudding cake on a round serving plate. Traditionally, riz impératrice is served with red currant jelly.

Step 63

Optional: For this recipe, I added an extra decorating touch. I piped some vanilla Chantilly into small pointed dots...

Step 64

... all around the edge of the entremets.

Step 65

Heat some redcurrant jelly. Whisk the jelly until smooth and homogeneous.

Step 66

Pour it into a piping bag, then lay the bag flat on your kitchen worktop to let the jelly cool down to 25 or 30°C maximum.

Step 67

Pipe the redcurrant jelly into the ridges on the surface of the cake. Serve the rest of the jelly as a side.

Step 68

Finish the decoration by placing a small cube of candied fruit on every Chantilly dot. Reserve in the fridge until ready to serve.