075 / 75 · Make the Most of What Is Left
Lemon Raisin Rice Custard Slice
6 warm soft custard slices, each one-sixth of the dish; a dessert, not a main meal · Active 15 min · Total 1 hr 25 min
Print recipe · PDFA small batch of cold cooked rice becomes a lemon-scented baked custard with raisins and a lightly golden top. Eggs set the mixture into soft slices rather than a spoon-stirred rice pudding. This recipe is made to be baked and eaten promptly, using rice that was safely chilled and remains within its short refrigerated window.
Check the rice before mixing
Use plain cooked rice that was chilled promptly, ideally within an hour of cooking, and kept refrigerated for no more than twenty-four hours. Rice that sat out for an uncertain period is not made suitable by baking it. Break up cold clumps gently with a fork before adding the milk mixture. This is a way to enjoy a known recent leftover, not a method for rescuing rice with a questionable history.
Spread fruit and grains evenly
Raisins and rice both settle, so distribute them across the buttered dish before and after pouring in the custard. Finely grate only the yellow lemon peel; the white layer underneath can make a small dessert noticeably bitter. Whisk the eggs and sugar smooth, then add milk and lemon. A modest amount of sugar lets the raisins remain part of the sweetness instead of covering their flavor.
Aim for a soft baked slice
The edges should be set and the center should have only a gentle wobble once the safe temperature is reached. A short rest helps each broad portion hold together, but this is still tender custard rather than a firm cake. Serve warm after that rest. Because the starting rice has already been cooked and chilled, the bake is its single reheating step; make a batch size that will be eaten rather than planning another cooling and reheating cycle.
Ingredients
- About 2 cups plain cooked rice, cold, safely chilled and refrigerated no longer than 24 hours (400 g)
- 1 tablespoon butter for dish (15 g)
- 3 large eggs (150 g without shells)
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar (60 g)
- 2 cups milk (480 ml)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 ml)
- 2 teaspoons finely grated yellow lemon zest (4 g)
- 1/2 cup raisins (80 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g)
Set out
2-quart/2 L baking dish about 8 inches/20 cm square, mixing bowl and whisk, fork, fine grater, baking tray, food thermometer, broad serving spatula
Allergens
milk, egg. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Check the rice cooking date and chilling history. Heat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Butter the baking dish with all the measured butter and set it on the tray. Break rice clumps apart with a fork and spread rice and raisins evenly in the dish.
- Whisk eggs and sugar until smooth, then whisk in milk, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt. Pour over rice and raisins. Stir gently in the dish once to distribute grains and fruit without scraping off the butter.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes until the edges are set and the center has only a slight wobble. Check that the thick center reaches at least 165°F/74°C. If still very loose or below temperature, continue baking and check again.
- Rest for 20 minutes, then cut and lift 6 broad soft custard portions with the spatula. Serve warm and eat promptly. This is the rice’s single reheating step; do not cool the finished rice custard for another reheating cycle.
A planned rice dessert
Use a recent properly chilled portion of plain rice. This recipe deliberately keeps the same twenty-four-hour rice rule as the rest of the collection.
Ingredient labels
Check dried fruit labels; raisins or alternative dried fruits may contain added sulfites. Butter and milk supply milk, and eggs set the custard.
A useful detail
This is an egg-set baked custard slice, distinct from simmered milk rice. The center stays tender, and the twenty-minute rest is included in the total rather than an instruction to chill it for later.
Another way
- Replace raisins with 80 g finely chopped dried apricots, distributing them through the rice in the same way.
- Replace lemon juice and zest with 15 ml orange juice and 4 g finely grated orange zest. The flavor becomes sweeter and less sharp.
Keep it well
Keep the starting rice at 40°F/4°C or below and use within 24 hours of its original cooking. Bake to 165°F/74°C and eat promptly after the stated rest. Do not save the finished custard for another cooling and reheating cycle; scale down before cooking if six portions will not be eaten. Discard uneaten finished portions rather than extending the rice deadline.