(Greek Rice Pudding)

1 litre milk

80gm honey

1 orange (zest and juice)

1 tbl sp vanilla

1 cinnamon stick

3/4 cup arborio rice

1 cup water

1 punnet strawberries (washed, ends removed, chopped in halves)

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 tea sp sumac

1 tbl sp cinnamon powder

Begin by infusing the milk. In a small pot add milk, honey, orange zest, vanilla and cinnamon stick and bring to a high simmer, stirring to help the honey melt. Once high simmer is reached, take off and keep stirring to make sure the milk doesn’t curdle. Pop to the side.

In a large pot add in rice and water on low medium heat and allow to cook. Make sure you stir as you go. Keep cooking until nearly all the water is gone. Pour in the infused honey milk and raise to medium heat, allowing it to reach a gentle simmer. Simmer for 35-45 minutes, stirring every so often so that the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom. It’ll be ready when rice is cooked and milk has reduced to a really creamy soup. Very similar to a loose porridge in thickness. Take off heat and continue stirring as it cools. Remove cinnamon stick.

For the sumac strawberries, place caster sugar and half of the orange juice on pan on medium heat and stir allowing the sugar to melt. Once sugar has melted, add in the sumac and strawberries and mix it all through over medium heat for a couple of minutes, or until strawberries and softened but still holding shape. Place to the side and allow to cool.

To plate, add rizogalo to small bowl, spoon on sumac strawberries and the syrup its swimming in, before a dusting of cinnamon powder.