Belgian Rice Pie Recipes

BELGIAN RICE PIE

Steps:

• Make the prune filling: Combine prunes, raisins, brandy, light-brown sugar, zest, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until syrupy, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to the bowl of a food processor; process until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl; cover and refrigerate.
• Make the rice filling: Bring 1 1/2 cups water and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add rice, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender and water has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Stir in milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Simmer, stirring frequently, until rice is very tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Whisk together eggs until well incorporated in a medium bowl. While whisking constantly, add a small ladle of hot milk mixture to the eggs. Repeat process until half of the milk mixture has been incorporated. Then slowly return egg mixture to pot while continuing to whisk. Return pot to the heat and cook, stirring, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a medium bowl. Let cool for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the rice mixture. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Make the crust: Combine warm water and yeast in a small bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Whisk together flour and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and vanilla until pale yellow and tripled in volume. Add sugar and butter and beat until thoroughly combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir in yeast mixture until just incorporated; stir in flour mixture. Turn out dough onto a generously floured work surface and sprinkle with more flour. Gently knead for about 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl coated with softened butter. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center of oven. Punch down dough and remove from bowl. Pat dough into a 13-inch round and place in a 9-inch pie plate. Spread bottom evenly with prune filling. Stir rice mixture to loosen and add to pie plate. Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet until crust is golden and center is set, about 1 hour. If crust browns too quickly, tent with a piece of foil that has a hole in the center. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then chill in refrigerator until completely cooled, at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Serve at room temperature.

BELGIAN RICE TART (TARTE AU RIZ)

Steps:

• Bring 2 cups milk, rice and 3 1/2 ounces sugar to a soft boil, cover and let simmer for about 30 minutes.
• Mix yeast with 1 tablespoon of the 1/4 cup milk and 1 tablespoon sugar until smooth.
• Sift flour and salt into a bowl, make a well in the middle.
• Mix rest of the 1/4 cup milk with oil and egg.
• Pour yeast mixture into the well and cut butter into the flour.
• Add milk-oil-egg mixture and knead so you get a soft dough.
• Let rest 30 minutes.
• Remove cooked rice pudding from heat.
• Divide egg, beat white until soft peaks form.
• In a bain-marie, stir rice pudding until slightly cooled, stir in vanilla, then fold in the stiff egg white, incorporate it and then fold in half of the egg yolk. The other half of it will be necessary to baste the rim of the tarte.
• Preheat oven to 480 degrees (430 when fan assisted) and grease a 8-9 inch tart or spring form.
• Knead dough, then spread into tart or spring form.
• Pour rice pudding onto dough, baste rim with remaining egg yolk.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. If tart starts to get dark too quickly, cover with aluminum foil.
• Remove from oven and let cool.
• Serve plain, with hot cherries or cherry pie filling or whatever topping you like.

CLASSIC HOMEMADE BELGIAN RICE PIE RECIPE (RIJSTTAART)

Steps:

• Warm ¼ cup (60 ml) of milk until it is tepid, don't let it simmer. Add the all purpose flour, fresh yeast, cold unsalted butter, 1 egg yolk, a pinch of salt and 2 teaspoons of the caster sugar to a blender.
• Pulse into a dry and crumbly mixture. Pour in the tepid milk.
• Pulse again until you get a firm dough. Add extra flour if the dough it too wet or sticky.
• Transfer the dough onto a well floured surface. Sprinkle with a little extra flour and start kneading the dough for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Shape the dough into a ball and wrap it loosely up in some cling film. It will raise a little so don't make it too tight. Let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to activate the yeast. In the meantime combine the rice, 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) of milk, the vanilla bean, a tiny pinch of salt and 2 oz (55 g) of caster sugar in a medium saucepan.
• Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a gentle boil. Then turn the heat lower and simmer the rice for about 20 minutes or until it is almost tender and the milk has almost disappeared. Keep an eye on it or the rice might burn. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cream just to keep the rice moist or the pie will be too dry. Remove the vanilla bean.
• Heat the rest of the milk in a small saucepan.
• In a separate saucepan add 1 egg yolk and half of the remaining caster sugar.
• Whisk into a creamy mixture and then add the rest of the sugar as well.
• Stir the creamy yolk mixture for another minute. Then place the saucepan over medium heat and gradually pour in the hot milk while stirring constantly.
• Once the milk is added, add the cornstarch (or instant vanilla pudding powder) as well.
• Bring the yolk mixture to a light boil for 4 minutes until it thickens and turns into a runny custard consistency. Stir regularly.
• Add this warm custard to the cooked rice and stir well.
• Put the rice aside for now. Roll out the dough on a well floured surface and coat a tart tin with it. A small tin of 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter is perfect.
• Scoop the creamy rice filling in it and spread it evenly.
• Beat the remaining egg and brush the top with the egg wash.
• Bake the rice pie in a preheated oven at 356°F (180°C) for about 35 minutes until the top and the crust is golden brown. Remove the freshly baked pie from the oven and let it cool in its tin for 10 minutes. Cut it into wedges and serve lukewarm.