There is nothing as comforting as rhubarb and custard to see you through the last of the winter’s chill. Traditional rice pudding is baked in the oven, but I never heat the whole oven up for something I can do just as well on the hob.
(Serves 4) 54p a portion
200g rhubarb, £1.50
50g sugar, 4p
150g long grain rice, washed, 6p
600ml whole milk, 36p
385g custard, 20p
Slice the rhubarb and cover with water in a small saucepan. Add the sugar, bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer for five minutes. Remove the rhubarb with a slotted spoon and reserve to serve on top of the pudding.
Add the rice to the rhubarb poaching water with the milk and bring back to the boil before reducing to a simmer for 20 minutes, or until soft, sticky and creamy.
Stir in the custard before serving, and top with the chunks of rhubarb.
TIP: If you’re cooking something else in the oven at around 180C/350F/gas mark four, put all the ingredients for this pudding in a lidded casserole dish for half an hour or so on the bottom shelf.
Jack Monroe. Twitter: @MsJackMonroe
First published in The Guardian, 12 March 2014. Photograph by Graeme Robertson for The Guardian.