Riso nero—black rice—is the dramatic name for a nursery dish offered to children as a light supper or as a sweet after a bit of broth or soup. It is most often just made with rice poached in milk that has been scented with cinnamon and mixed with a few shards of chocolate, the latter giving the dish its name as it melts and turns the rice a deep, dark color. Surely there are lovely similarities between it and pasta in nero della consolazione (page 118). Here I offer its comfort in a more adult version. The same prescriptions apply, though, as this is best presented after a light, reviving soup or, better, after no soup at all, so one can justify slipping one’s fork into the spiced, chocolate depths of a second or third piece of the sweet little pie.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
In a medium saucepan, heat the milk with the sugar, the crushed cinnamon stick, nutmeg, the vanilla seeds and pod (slit the bean with a sharp knife and scrape its seeds directly into the milk), the cocoa, the cloves, and the sea salt, bringing the ingredients to a simmer. Stir in the rice, lower the flame, cover the pan, and cook it for 35 minutes or until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the vanilla pod and any larger pieces of the cinnamon stick that might remain. Cool the rice for 10 minutes in a large bowl.
Step 2
Meanwhile, in a small, heavy saucepan over a gentle flame, warm the liquore and melt the chocolate and the mascarpone in it. Add the chocolate/liquore/mascarpone mixture to the rice, along with the pistachios, the two yolks, lightly beaten, and the softened butter, stirring to combine the components. In a large bowl, beat the four egg whites to stiff but not dry peaks and fold them, gently and thoroughly, into the rice.
Step 3
Turn the black rice out into a partially baked tart crust in a buttered 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake the tart at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until its center is set but still very creamy. Do not overbake the tart.
Step 4
Cool the tart for at least 1 hour and present it with fluffs of barely whipped, unsweetened cream to those with hearts who can still get excited over a chocolate pie.
