Brûlée rice pudding

Tasty, warming, comforting etc. etc.  This was my planned dessert for the MasterChef quarterfinal (unfortunately I crashed out the round before cooking this).  Again put your own mark on this, I use just vanilla but you can add cardamom, the classic nutmeg even cinnamon to the rice. I put raspberry jam in the bottom flavoured with star anise and lime, but you can use fresh raspberries cooked down to a compote (with sloe gin for a cheffy touch), any other fruit, or indeed just leave this component out.  Apologies again for the photo as a friend pointed out last week, I REALLY need a food stylist!

Ingredients (4 large portions)

300g short grain rice (arborio, carnaroli or any other variety are fine)
450ml double cream
450ml full fat milk
4 tablespoons of white caster sugar (with extra for brûlée topping)
1 vanilla pod (or a teaspoon of extract)
4 tablespoons of good quality raspberry jam
Juice of 1 lime
1 star anise

Directions

1) Add the rice, milk, sugar, split vanilla pod and half of the cream to a large saucepan and bring to a very gentle simmer stirring continuously.  Watch that you don't burn this mixture and add the reserved cream as necessary to achieve a loose texture.  Check the rice for tenderness and flavour after around 1 hour, it should be completely soft, there's no room for al dente here!

2) Heat the jam (or fresh raspberries if you're using them) with the lime juice and star anise warm gently, allow to infuse for around 1 hour.

3) Place the infused jam / berries in the bottom of individual ramekins or a large dish to share, spoon the rice on top and then sprinkle the reserved sugar to completely cover the top.  You must quickly place under a hot grill or blowtorch before the sugar dissolves and allow to caramelise until dark brown.

Allow the pudding to rest a little before serving so that the sugar sets hard and cools, boiling sugar in your mouth's not fun!  This dessert really needs no accompaniment and has converted many who weren't too sure about rice pudding....