This ridiculously simple French rice pudding is soul food that’s equally delicious for dessert as it is for breakfast the next morning. It may also be the best cure for a broken heart, especially when served to those you love most, which is why I packed an overnight back and made the hour-long trip to my parents’ house at midnight a couple of weeks ago, and then cooked them up a steaming pot of riz au lait. 

Making riz au lait (pronounced, roughly, ree-oh-lay) is a labor of love, so diligently must it be tended to, so slowly must it be forced to absorb a great amount of milk, so frequently must it be stirred to avoid the constant potential of burning. Unless you have a proliferation of spoons and can use a new one for every taste, I don’t recommend making riz au lait if you’re sick, or cooking for someone who would be totally grossed out by double dipping. The only way to make a truly successful riz au lait is to taste constantly. You’re striving for a perfect balance, the tipping point at which point the rice has absorbed as much milk as possible but has not yet begun to lose its shape and fall into depressing mushiness. (I will say that I have a genetic disposition to making rice that clearly fits the description of “depressingly mushy,” so perhaps I exaggerate the precision it takes to make a perfectly tender yet shapely riz au lait.) You can also play around a lot with the amount of milk depending on whether you prefer a more scoopable rice pudding or one that’s more liquid. Either way, not overcooking the rice is important. 

You can add all sorts of extras to your riz au lait; I prefer to top mine with a sprinkle of cinnamon and maybe some chopped apple for crunch. Sweet and creamy on its own, it’s also delicious plain, either hot or cold (I usually eat it hot for dessert and cold for breakfast). 

Riz Au Lait

• 2 cups medium- or short-grain white rice
• about 3 quarts milk (I prefer 2% or whole for riz au lait, and the amount I use varies depending on my rice so having extra on hand isn’t a bad idea.)
• sugar to taste (I use about 1/4 cup usually)
• cinnamon, apple, or whatever you prefer as garnish

1. Pour the rice into a heavy-bottomed pot. Add enough milk to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and stir, uncovered, until most of the milk has been absorbed.

2. Add another cup or so of milk. Stir over very low heat until most of milk is absorbed. Repeat until the rice is very tender. Stir in sugar to taste and serve hot or cold.