Carolina Gold Rice Pudding with Strawberry–Anise Hyssop Jam
08 Jul 2025
Chef
Ingredients
FOR THE RICE PUDDING
Carolina Gold rice: 200 g
Full fat coconut milk: 1 can / 400 ml
Almond milk: 360 ml
Sugar: 50 g
Salt: 1 tsp
Vanilla bean: 1 (split lengthwise, seeds scraped, pod reserved)
FOR THE STRAWBERRY–ANISE HYSSOP JAM
Anise hyssop leaves: 1 bunch (washed)
Sugar: 400 g
Water: 480 ml
Strawberries: 900 g
Salt: 1 tsp
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
FOR SERVING
Fresh shiso or mint leaves: 4
Over the years, I’ve worked on my rice pudding recipe. I like using great rice like Carolina Gold from Anson Mills. I cook it with coconut and almond milk because so many diners are looking for dairy-free options, and also because it just eats lighter. The strawberry jam screams summer, and it’s also a way to use up fruit that is bruised or even a little underripe.
How to make Carolina Gold Rice Pudding with Strawberry–Anise Hyssop Jam
01.
Make the Rice Pudding
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the rice and cook for 18–20 minutes, or until fully cooked.
- While the rice cooks, combine the coconut milk, almond milk, sugar, salt, vanilla bean seeds, and pod in a separate large pot. Gently warm over low–medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Once the rice is cooked, strain out any remaining water.
- Add the rice to the warmed milk mixture. Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and the rice is very soft.
- Transfer the rice pudding to a bowl, remove the vanilla pod, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
02.
Make the Strawberry–Hyssop Jam
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a small pot over medium heat, combine the sugar and water. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves.
- Remove from heat, add the anise hyssop leaves, and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain out the leaves and reserve the syrup.
- Wash, de-stem, and quarter the strawberries.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the strawberries with 60 ml of the hyssop syrup and the salt. Place the pan in the oven.
- Roast for 15 minutes. Remove the strawberries, stir gently with a rubber spatula, and return to the oven. After 10 more minutes, check for doneness: the strawberries should hold their shape, and the liquid should be thickened but not puréed. Adjust with more syrup if desired and return to the oven if needed.
- Once finished, transfer the jam to a bowl and stir in the lemon juice. Let cool to room temperature.
03.
Assemble the Dessert
- Divide the chilled rice pudding into bowls.
- Spoon the strawberry–anise hyssop jam around the pudding.
- Tear the shiso or mint leaves and garnish each bowl.
