Review: Arroz con Coco (Cuban coconut Rice Pudding)-May '01

[brendat4]

Hi all! First I have to tell you I am a big fan of rice pudding and have had some pretty awful ones in the past. My favorite rice pudding is at a South American restaurant called Americas (in Houston)--very creamy and not too sticky with a perfect blend of coconut, vanilla and cinnamon.

I made the Arroz con Coco (p. 144 in the May '01 CL) the other night. I thought it turned out very well. It is quite tasty I thought. The ginger and vanilla flavors are strongest so if you like that you'll most likely like this dessert. It was creamy but got a little stickier after it sat overnight in the fridge--that's the nature of the rice I know--to soak up more moisture.

I did have a couple variations . . . I used regular coconut milk (couldn't find the light at the store I was at so it probably didn't end up too low-fat) and instead of using a cheescloth to contain the spices I used my mesh tea ball. Probably didn't make too huge of a difference except I had to break up the cinnamon stick to get it in there so the cinnamon flavor may have been stronger. I don't know why, but I've always had a tough time finding plain cheesecloth!

[chefbec]

Thanks for the review. I love rice pudding! I'll have to try this one. I just bought lite coconut milk, too. Did you ask at the market? I happened to notice it but hadn't seen it last time I looked for it. It was probably there all the time. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/rolleyes.gif

[Vanessa]

Hi Brenda4 Glad you tried arroz con coco. This dish is served in Puerto Rico as part of Xmas desserts too. We do it a bit differently by using a piece of fresh ginger (you smash it a bit) and we use cloves, cinnamon, dash of nutmeg. We do soak our rice (washing it and soaking in water to cover generously for 2 hrs then draining it before adding it to the saucepan).
You mentioned not finding cheesecloth? I found cheesecloth at the supermarket one day. When I am out of it I use a metal tea ball for recipes needing herbs or spices.
When arroz con coco cools it becomes less creamy. We serve it in a shallow platter( we use dark raisins)allowing it to cool at room temperature.
The light coconut milk you can find in the Oriental section of your supermarket.

[mandarin2j]

Mmmmmmmm. We tried this the other weekend. The coconut milk made it extra rich and sweet. Yum! My Grandpa, who is a major rice pudding freak, gave it two thumbs up. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

-Amanda

[Grace]

Gotta pull out this old thread and put in my two cents.

This recipe was AWESOME!!! It had so much flavor. And all the spices and ginger were just perfect. You could taste them, but they weren't overwhelming (like ginger can sometimes be). This was like a dessert you would get in a good restaurant. I will make this one again and again and again! A perfect 10 in my book!

[Anne]

Thanks for the positive reviews - I'm not a big fan of rice pudding but I'm going to try this one.
If you can't find cheese cloth try a bit of unbleached, washed linen. It's a much tighter weave but the flavors still seem to distribute well.

[Lynn B]

Just made this today... mmmmm! Delicious! I totally agree w/ Grace's review above. A perfect blend of flavors, and a perfect "10"!
Lynn

[valchemist]

I am making this recipe this week.

A question for those of you who made it:

did you serve it warm, cold, or at room temperature? the recipe implies that you should serve it cold. Vanessa like to serve this type of dish at room temperature.

[Lynn B]

Val,

This is good ANY way!!!

I tasted it while it was still warm -- delicious! A little while later, I ate the bit that was left in the pan, (room temperature) http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif - delicious! And now that it's been refrigerated, it is still... (you guessed it!) -- DELICIOUS!!!

[valchemist]

thanks, Lynn.

anyone else?

I am making this tonight!

[valchemist]

Made this and liked it very well. I served it both warm and cold. Liked it better warm.