Rice pudding is a December classic. Loved by many. Hated by few.

Rice pudding may not be the most nutritious meal, but it is probably the easiest dinner in the world if you follow this method my mother taught me, where the rice pudding cooks under a duvet. When I was a child, it was always exciting to see if my bed would be chosen to cook the rice pudding. It always was.

The method is the old-fashioned haybox method, where the food continues to cook without using electricity. Here, the haybox is replaced with a blanket and a duvet, and the advantage is that, besides saving energy, you avoid the pudding burning.

This portion serves two adults and two small children. If there are more of you or you are extra hungry, just multiply the quantities.

Kitchen time: 5-10 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour (during which you can do all sorts of other things)

Ingredients

200 ml pudding rice

1 liter milk (preferably whole milk)

Instructions:

1. Take 200 ml pudding rice, rinse it a couple of times to remove impurities, and let it drain in a sieve.
2. Put the rice in a pot and add water until it covers the rice. Bring it to a boil and let it cook for a couple of minutes.
3. Add 1 liter of milk – I use whole milk, but you can also use half semi-skimmed milk and half whole milk. Bring it to a brief boil.
4. Meanwhile, find a blanket or thick towel. Wrap the blanket or towel around the pot (be careful not to tip the pot over), place it in a bed, and wrap a duvet tightly around the blanket and pot.
5. Tell the children that under no circumstances should they jump on the bed where the pudding is cooking.
6. After 1 hour, you can unwrap your pot. The rice pudding is now almost ready. It may be yellow on the surface and need a bit more milk. Heat it gently while stirring constantly to prevent it from burning.
7. Season with salt and serve with sugar, cinnamon, a pat of butter, and a cold Christmas beer.

Tip: The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration recommends not leaving rice pudding under a duvet/in a haybox for more than 1 hour, as harmful bacteria can develop, which in the worst case can cause vomiting and diarrhea.

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