Lima’s cuisine, influenced by the city’s humid climate, embraces light, bright, and spicy flavors that satisfy on sticky days. Peruvian cooking’s richness lies in the skillful blending of strong spices, indigenous ingredients, and citrus to balance an array of meats, seafood, and starches. We celebrate this tradition with user-friendly recipes, including the beloved classic: Arroz con leche. Here is how to make it.
Arroz con leche
Forget what you know about rice pudding – and don’t even think about comparing this to what’s sold in supermarkets or your local deli. Orange zest, real vanilla bean, and a whole cinnamon stick are the stars of the dish and can turn plain rice into a distinctive dessert.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
1/2 cup short or medium-grain rice
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 vanilla bean
1 navel orange, zested
2 cups whole milk
1 (12 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
Directions
Bring 1 cup of water and cinnamon stick to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add rice and boil for 1 minute. Scrape seeds from the bean and add grains and beans to the rice. Cover tightly, reduce heat to low, and cook for 25–30 minutes until rice is tender and just a small amount of water remains.
Remove the cinnamon stick and vanilla bean. Add orange zest and milk. Simmer, frequently stirring so the bottom does not burn until the milk has reduced and the mixture is creamy with liquid still remaining. Serve warm or chilled.
