The rice pudding that Zeynel Uzun serves at Kazan, his 34-year-old Turkish restaurant in McLean, Virginia, is made the same way he learned more than 40 years ago, as a young cook in Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace. Why mess with success?

Brown rice flour – not grains of rice – is used in his creamy, smooth kazandibi (“bottom of the pot”), so named because of its sugar-scorching technique. Ordering’s the fun part: We’ll have the Kazan Kazandibi, please.

Turkish Rice Pudding (Kazandibi)

6 to 8 servings

1. Use 1 tablespoon unsalted butter to grease a 9- by 12-inch metal pan that can handle direct stovetop heat. Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour; tilt to coat all over. Refrigerate while you make the pudding.

2. Combine 2 cups whole milk, 2 cups half-and-half and 3/4 cup sugar in a large saucepan, then reserve 1 cup of the milk mixture. Bring the remaining saucepan mixture to a foamy boil over medium-high heat.

Advertisement

3. Meanwhile, whisk together 1/4 cup brown rice flour, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup cornstarch in a mixing bowl. Stir in the reserved cup of the milk mixture, along with the yolk of 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, to form a smooth slurry.

4. Whisk the slurry into the boiling milk mixture, which will soon thicken. Keep whisking; reduce the heat to medium-low, cooking until the consistency is that of a soft, lump-free pudding. Turn off the heat.

5. Pour about half the pudding into the chilled, coated pan. Place half the pan over one burner on medium-high heat to begin caramelizing the sugar coating on the bottom. The pudding layer will quickly bubble; use a spatula to tamp it down while the caramelization occurs. As soon as you see the bottom is browned (through momentary gaps in the pudding), turn and repeat on the other side of the pan. Do not let lumps form in the pudding. Turn off the heat.

6. Pour the remaining pudding into the pan, smoothing it. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 1 day. Cut into portions; invert on the plates so the caramelized side is on top. Sprinkle lightly with ground cinnamon. Serve chilled.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.