Name: Ron Hsu’s Rice Pudding with Fresh Peaches and Bourbon
Yield: serves 2–4 for dessert
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 1 large egg; ¼ cup sugar; 1 tsp. vanilla extract; ⅓ cup bourbon, reduced to roughly 2 tbsp. by simmering on the stove; 1 tsp. ground cinnamon (preferably Vietnamese), toasted; Salt; 1 cup whole milk; ½ cup cooked and cooled short grain rice; 2 ripe peaches, cut into rough ½-inch cubes; Extra chopped peaches (optional); Mint leaves (optional)

Rice is prevalent in many desserts the world over, from steamed mango sticky rice in Thailand to Mexico’s arroz con leche, but the most common rice dessert in the South is creamy rice pudding. It’s a great blank canvas for ripe summer peaches, and in this recipe, you get to learn how to make a classic crème anglaise custard, a base widely utilized for ice cream, tarts, and (with added starch) pastry cream, which can be used for eclairs, pies, or cakes.

Take care to whisk the eggs while adding the hot milk; this will temper them and prevent the curdling that happens when their temperature increases too quickly. Also, be sure to use short grain rice. Not only will it hold its shape well, but its chewy texture will burst with the flavor of the custard after they marry in the refrigerator for a couple hours. —Ron Hsu, Down South + East.

Read our Q&A with Hsu, and get his recipes for char siu glazed ribs and pimento cheese wontons.

For the rice pudding

1 large egg
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
⅓ cup bourbon, reduced to roughly 2 tbsp. by simmering on the stove
1 tsp. ground cinnamon (preferably Vietnamese), toasted
Salt
1 cup whole milk
½ cup cooked and cooled short grain rice
2 ripe peaches, cut into rough ½-inch cubes
Extra chopped peaches (optional)
Mint leaves (optional)

Preparation

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, sugar, vanilla, reduced bourbon, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt to thoroughly combine, then set aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a boil over high heat. While whisking the egg mixture, pour in roughly ⅓ of the hot milk and continue whisking until combined, then pour in another ⅓ third of the milk and whisk to combine to temper the eggs.

Pour the milk and egg mixture back into the pot with the remaining ⅓ hot milk, place over low heat, and cook without boiling while stirring with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape the corners of the pot to prevent burning, until slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Place a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl and pour the custard through, straining out and discarding any curdled egg. Add the cooked rice and the peaches, stir well, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Serve cold with extra chopped peaches and fresh mint if desired, and refrigerate any leftovers for up to 1 week.