Rice pudding soufflé with cherry compote

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• ½ liter of milk
• 1 cinnamon stick(s)
• 1 piece(s) lemon peel
• ½ vanilla pod(s)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 30 g sugar
• 125 g rice pudding
• 4 eggs
• 30 g sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 jar sour cherries (680 g, drained weight 350 g)
• 2 tbsp almond liqueur
• 2 tbsp rock sugar
• 4 tbsp orange juice
• 1 tsp powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 2 hours

For the rice pudding: Scrape out the vanilla pod, bring the milk to a boil with the cinnamon, vanilla seeds and pod, lemon zest, a pinch of salt, and 30g of sugar. Stir in the rice pudding and simmer uncovered over low heat for about 35 minutes. Stir frequently and be careful not to burn. Remove the cinnamon stick, vanilla pod, and lemon zest and let the rice pudding cool. Separate the eggs, beat the egg yolks with 20g of sugar until frothy and stir into the rice. Beat the egg whites with 10g of sugar and a pinch of salt until stiff and fold into the rice pudding. Pour the rice into molds and place the molds in a shallow, heatproof bowl filled with hot water. The molds should be two-thirds submerged in water. Make sure no water gets into the rice pudding. Bake at 200°C (top/bottom heat) for about 25 minutes. For the cherry compote: Drain the cherries, reserving the juice. Bring the juice to a boil in a saucepan with rock sugar. Add the orange juice and almond liqueur to the cherry juice and reduce by about half. Add the cherries to the juice. If desired, thicken with a little cornstarch, stirred with a little water until smooth. Dust the soufflé with powdered sugar and serve immediately on plates with the cherry compote.