Comfort food

Last week I was home alone and, not having anyone to feed other than myself, I decided, purely on the spur of the moment,  to make a rice pudding. As instant foods go, it's hardly an ideal choice item, taking about 2 hours to cook, but as a comfort food, it is one of the most wonderful. I followed my mum's ancient recipe substituting semi-skimmed milk for the full fat she used. While it was cooking, filling the house with a nutmeggy fragrance, I stripped wall paper, knowing  that my reward would be a delicious, creamy pudding once I'd finished 

Ingredients

60g/2¼oz pudding rice

600ml/20fl oz semi skimmed milk

2 tbsp caster sugar

freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

15g/½oz unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

jam, to serve

Method

Preheat your oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.

Wash then put it into a wide ovenproof dish

Pour in the milk. Add the caster sugar and stir together. Grate some nutmeg over the top and dot with the butter.

Place in the oven and bake for 2-2½ hours, or until the pudding has a golden-brown skin and the rice is tender and creamy (the longer you give it, the more thick and sticky it will become).

Serve warm, with a spoonful  of jam