LAVENDER & LEMON RICE PUDDING WITH WHITE PEACH & BITTER CHOCOLATE

Prep: 15 mins. Cooking: 15 mins + cooling. Serves 4–6. 800ml milk

Finely grated zest of 2 lemons,

plus extra to serve

3 cinnamon quills

200g arborio rice

80g caster sugar

1 ripe white peach, thinly sliced, to serve Lavender flowers, to serve (optional) Lavender cream 190g double cream

12 lavender flowers or 6g dried lavender*, finely chopped Chocolate nests 250g couverture dark chocolate

(56% cocoa)

Dutch-process cocoa powder, for dusting

1 To make rice pudding, place milk, lemon zest and cinnamon quills in a saucepan over medium–high heat and bring to a simmer. Add rice and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 13 mins or until tender.

Add sugar, stirring to dissolve, then transfer to a bowl set over a second bowl filled with iced water. Refrigerate until needed.

2 To make lavender cream, place cream and lavender in a bowl and whisk to soft peaks. Refrigerate until required.

3 To make nests, place chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water and melt to 30˚C on a sugar thermometer. Pour into a piping bag with a 2–3mm nozzle and, using a circular motion, pipe into a large bowl of icy water. As chocolate begins to set, form into nests with a spoon; leave in water a further 3 mins to set completely. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, dust with cocoa and refrigerate until required.

4 To serve, arrange chocolate nests on plates, dust with cocoa, add rice pudding and finish with lavender cream, peach slices, lemon zest and lavender flowers.