Rice Porridge (Risgrøt / Risengrynsgrøt)
As with any traditional dish, recipes and preparations vary. I’m providing this recipe as a guide—please be sure to adjust the sweetness and the quantity of milk to your taste. That said, one of the biggest decisions to make for risgrøt is the type of rice to choose. I’ve seen recipes with short-, medium-, or long-grain. I’ve always used short-grain for my riskrem, so that’s what I’m using here as well. Specifically, I use arborio, an Italian short-grain rice. I’ve also seen a recipe calling for sushi rice. Also, some recipes take place entirely on the stovetop, with boiling the rice in water and then adding the milk and simmering until the milk is absorbed—either adding the milk all at once or in small quantities at a time, much like risotto—while other recipes finish the porridge in the oven. I’m keeping it simple and adding all the milk at once, and completing the recipe on the stovetop. Risgrøt shouldn’t be fussy. But you’ll still want to stir it regularly to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup arborio rice
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 vanilla bean cut lengthwise and seeds scraped out, both pod and seeds reserved
- 1 cinnamon stick
For serving
- 4 thin slices cold butter
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 whole blanched almond
Instructions
- In a medium pot, bring rice, water, and salt to a boil. Lower heat and maintain a good simmer, uncovered, until the rice absorbs the water, stirring regularly so the rice doesn’t stick.
- Add the milk, sugar, vanilla seeds and pod, and cinnamon stick, and stir in. Continue to simmer, covered, and stirring regularly, until the milk is absorbed and rice is tender, about a half an hour or so, checking regularly and adding more milk as needed.
- Remove vanilla pod and cinnamon stick. Taste and add additional sugar if desired. Transfer porridge to a serving dish or to four bowls, tucking a single whole almond somewhere inside one of the servings. Sprinkle with additional sugar and ground cinnamon and top with a pat of cold butter.