Risalamande

Step 1: Put 5 ½ oz pudding rice and ¾ cup water in a heavy pan over a medium heat and boil for 2 minutes, until the water is mostly absorbed.

Step 2: Add 4 ¼ cups whole milk, 1 vanilla pod (seeds scraped in, pod too) and 1 pinch salt. Bring to the boil, stirring, then turn the heat to the lowest setting, cover and cook for 35–40 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes and scraping the bottom. Rice catches easily; if you smell scorching, do not scrape the base into the pudding.

Step 3: It is done when the grains are completely soft and the pudding is thick and creamy, like loose porridge. Remove the vanilla pod, spread in a bowl, cover and chill completely, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Step 4: Set aside one whole almond from 3 ½ oz blanched almonds. Chop the rest finely, but not to a powder; Danes like a little crunch.

Step 5: Stir 3 tbsp caster sugar and the chopped almonds into the cold rice, loosening it with a spoon. Whip 1 ¼ cups double cream to soft peaks and fold it in in two goes until evenly mixed and airy.

Step 6: Tuck the whole almond into the pudding and smooth the top. Chill until serving.

Step 7: For the sauce, drain the juice from 1 ½ lb pitted morello cherries in juice into a pan. Mix 1 ½ tbsp cornflour with 2 tablespoons of the juice, then whisk it into the pan with 2 tbsp caster sugar. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring, until thickened and glossy, about 2 minutes. Add the cherries and heat through.

Step 8: Spoon the cold pudding into bowls and pour the hot cherry sauce over at the table. Whoever finds the whole almond wins the prize.