Sütlaç (Turkish baked rice pudding)
Photo: Sandstein · CC BY-SA 3.0

History

Sutlac has been on Istanbul muhallebici menus since the late Ottoman period, when cold milk-puddings became the city's standard dessert in the long evenings between dinner and tea. The version baked in a clay bowl under a fierce top heat, leaving a black-spotted skin, is the Istanbul signature; lighter unfired versions belong to other Turkish cities.

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Common allergens: Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 6Hands-on 20 minTotal 3 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 100g short-grain pudding rice
  • 300ml water
  • 1.2 litres whole milk
  • 180g caster sugar
  • 30g cornflour
  • 4 tablespoons cold milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Ground cinnamon, to dust

Method

  1. Rinse the rice. Bring the rice and 300ml water to a gentle simmer in a heavy pan, cover, and cook 15 minutes until the rice has absorbed the water and is just tender.
  2. Add the milk and sugar. Simmer uncovered 25 minutes, stirring often, until the rice grains start to suspend in a thick milky base.
  3. Whisk the cornflour into the 4 tablespoons cold milk. Stir into the simmering pudding and cook 4 minutes more until it visibly thickens and coats a spoon.
  4. Stir in vanilla. Ladle into 6 small ovenproof clay or ceramic bowls.
  5. Preheat the grill to its highest setting. Slide the bowls onto a tray and grill 4 to 6 minutes until the surface is scorched in dark patches but the pudding underneath is still milky.
  6. Cool to room temperature, then chill at least 2 hours. Dust with cinnamon at the table.

Tip from the editors. The grill is the whole game; if your top element is weak, finish each bowl with a chef's blowtorch held close until the surface freckles dark brown.

Where to eat sütlaç (turkish baked rice pudding)

Sütlaç (Turkish baked rice pudding) in Istanbul

Saray Muhallebicisi ★ 4.0

₺₺ TurkishBeyoğluUntil Open until 02:00

Saray Muhallebicisi on Istiklal, the 1935 muhallebici keeping milk puddings, kazandibi and tavuk göğsü flowing for late Beyoğlu walkers until 02:00.

TryTavuk göğsü chicken-breast pudding

Directions

Karaköy Lokantası ★ 4.5

₺₺ MediterraneanKaraköy

The teal-tiled Karaköy Lokantası, Bib Gourmand listed in the Michelin Guide, runs an Ottoman-leaning lunch lokanta downstairs and a meyhane upstairs at night.

SignatureLakerda, Hünkar beğendi, Lamb shank

Directions

Hayvore ★ 4.4

₺₺ TurkishBeyoğlu

Hayvore off Istiklal, the Black Sea steam-table cooking corn-bread anchovies and smoky bean stews for whoever knows the side street. Located in Beyoğlu.

Why locals goLocals fill it for the Black Sea menu, tourists walk past for the larger Istiklal places ten metres away.

TipOrder the hamsi pilav and the muhlama; they only run while supplies last.

Directions

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