Mhalbiya with Citrus Salad and Orange Blossom Water

La storia di questo piatto

Mhalbiya is the milk-and-rose pudding of the Maghreb, a soft, pale sweetness that belongs to the table of celebration and to the quiet hour after a meal. Here it meets a citrus fruit salad scented with orange blossom water, a lighter, home-kitchen pairing in which cream and fresh fruit rest side by side.

Ingredienti

• 500 ml Whole milk
• 2,5 tablespoons Cornstarch (about 20 g)
• 4 tablespoons Sugar (about 50 g)
• 1 tablespoons Rose water
• 3 fruits Oranges (about 450 g)
• 2 fruits Mandarins (about 200 g)
• 2 tablespoons Orange blossom water
• 30 g Chopped pistachios
• 20 g Slivered almonds
• 1 pinch Ground cinnamon (optional)

Preparazione

1. Measure 500 ml of milk and set aside about 100 ml, cold, in a bowl. Pour the remaining 400 ml into a small saucepan together with 4 tablespoons of sugar (about 50 g) and heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is completely dissolved. In the cold milk, dissolve the 2.5 tablespoons of cornstarch (about 20 g) with a whisk until you obtain a smooth, lump-free mixture.
2. When the sweetened milk in the saucepan steams and is about to simmer, pour in the dissolved cornstarch in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes, always stirring and scraping the bottom well, until the cream thickens and coats the back of a spoon. The starch must reach a light boil to fully gelatinize: if the cream is runny or tastes of raw flour, extend cooking by one minute.
3. Turn off the heat, stir in the rose water and mix gently (the sugar is already dissolved in the milk, so nothing else is needed). Pour the cream into serving cups and let it cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Transfer to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
4. While the pudding rests, prepare the citrus salad: peel the oranges and mandarins down to the flesh, remove the white pith, separate the segments and cut them into small pieces, collecting the juice that drips. Place them in a bowl with the orange blossom water and let them infuse for at least 10 minutes (or prepare them the night before and refrigerate for a more intense fragrance).
5. Toast the slivered almonds in a dry pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until golden and fragrant; let them cool. Lightly toast the pistachios for 1 minute as well, if desired.
6. At serving time, spoon the citrus segments with their fragrant juice over each cup of chilled pudding. Finish with the coarsely chopped pistachios, the toasted almonds and, if you like, a pinch of cinnamon.