Baked rice with muscovado, prunes and orange

Baked rice with muscovado, prunes and orange. Photo / Babiche Martens

Serves 4

Syrup
1/2 cup muscovado sugar
1 cup water
12 prunes, stones removed
Finely grated zest of one orange

Pudding
5 Tbs short grain rice
2 Tbs muscovado sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups full cream milk
4 tsp butter
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 To make the syrup; pour the sugar into a saucepan then add the water. Slice the prunes and add to the water with the orange zest. Simmer for 40 minutes then remove from the heat and leave to cool.

2 To make the pudding; preheat the oven to 150C. Butter an ovenproof baking dish. Pour the rice and sugar into the dish. Add the vanilla and milk.

3 Dot with butter and grate over the nutmeg.

4 Bake for 2 hours, making sure you stir the pudding at least twice in the first hour, then serve with the prunes, orange and muscovado syrup.

Chef's tip

If you are unable to find muscovado sugar, brown or palm can be substituted. Use short grain rice because it absorbs more liquid, resulting in a creamier pudding.