How can you use rice to make a dessert? Chef Cesare Battisti reveals his delicious Blackberry Risolatte recipe, which you can enjoy at Ratanà or make at home.

Blackberries and Risolatte:

Blackberry mousse, lemon curd, risolatte, blackberry coulis, puffed rice, meringue

Recipe for 4 people

For the mousse

150 g of blackberry purée
65 g of water
50 g of sugar
7 g of gelatin sheets
150 g of heavy cream

Method

Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water. Meanwhile, lightly whip the cream with a whisk (electric or manual). In a small pot, heat the water and sugar until the sugar has completely dissolved, then add the blackberry purée. Once the mixture is hot, remove it from heat and add the soaked gelatin after squeezing out excess water.

Next, gradually fold in the lightly whipped cream with a silicone spatula, mixing gently from bottom to top to prevent deflating the mixture. Pour the mousse into individual silicone molds. Place the molds in the freezer until the mousse has set. Once set, keep it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

For the lemon curd

Ingredients

100 g sugar
60 g eggs
25 g egg yolk
45 g lemon juice
55 g butter
1 g gelatin sheets

Method

Soak the gelatin in cold water. In a saucepan, combine sugar, eggs, egg yolk, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously with a whisk. Remove from heat when the mixture begins to simmer. Add the soaked and squeezed gelatin.

When the mixture cools to around 50°C (122°F), add the room-temperature butter, cut into cubes. Mix with a whisk or immersion blender until the lemon curd is smooth and homogeneous. Store in the refrigerator.

For the risolatte

0.5 L milk
45 g sugar
150 g rice
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
1 g salt

Method

In a saucepan, pour the milk and add the citrus zest. Heat the mixture. Once it's hot, remove the zest. At this point, add the sugar and stir until dissolved. When the milk is about to boil, add the rice, reduce the heat to low, and let it cook until the rice is tender. If the mixture dries out before the rice is done, add more milk. Stir frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the saucepan, especially toward the end of cooking. Let it cool to room temperature.

For the blackberry coulis

250 g blackberries
50 g powdered sugar
10 g lemon juice

Method

In a saucepan, cook the blackberries until they release their water and soften. Add the sugar and lemon juice. Cook for about one minute, or until the mixture is well combined. Once ready, strain the coulis through a fine sieve.

For the meringue

100 g egg whites at room temperature
200 g granulated sugar

Method

In a bowl, add the egg whites and one-third of the granulated sugar. Start whipping with electric beaters. As the mixture begins to foam, add another third of the granulated sugar. When the meringue is nearly fully whipped, add the remaining sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Once ready, transfer the meringue to a piping bag and create small dollops on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 80°C (176°F) for 2-3 hours.

Plate composition

With a kitchen brush, decorate the plate with a streak of blackberry coulis (we created a line as a base for the other ingredients). Place the individual serving of blackberry mousse in the center of the plate. Use the risolatte to make quenelles and place them at each end of the plate. Pipe dollops of lemon curd. Finish with additional decorations such as puffed rice, fresh blackberries, more blackberry coulis, and crumbled meringue.