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["Cook the rice:", "Preheat the oven to 325F.", "Place the rice in a strainer and rinse with cold water.", "Place the rice in a heavy-bottomed medium-sized saucepan with 2 cups cold water.", "Bring the rice to a boil and immediately remove the pan from the heat.", "Strain the rice and discard the starchy water.", "Place the blanched rice back in the pan and add the sugar, coconut milk, milk, and salt.", "Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, and cover the pan with aluminum foil or the lid.", "Place the pan in the oven and bake until the rice expands, and absorbs all the liquids, 30 minutes.", "(If the pan is not oven-proof, transfer the rice and liquid to a metal or glass baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.)", "If there is still runny milk in the pan, continue to bake, covered, for another 5 to 10 minutes.", "When the rice is done, remove it from the oven, leave it covered, and set it aside.", "Make the custard (see ""Cooking a stirred custard and testing for doneness"" in Notes, below):", "While the rice is baking, make the custard.", "Using the bottom of a small frying pan, crush the cardamom pods to split them open.", "In a heavy saucepan combine the cardamom pods and seeds, 1/2 cup of the sugar, milk, and cream and bring to a simmer over medium heat.", "Remove from the heat and allow the cardamom to steep for 10 minutes.", "In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, egg, and remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and briskly whisk for 1 minute.", "Using a ladle, slowly whisk some of the hot cream into the egg mixture to warm it.", "Gradually pour the warmed egg mixture into the hot cream, whisking the cream constantly as you pour.", "Cook the custard over medium heat, stirring continuously and scraping the bottom with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.", "Remove from the heat and strain the custard to remove the cracked cardamom pods and seeds.", "Combine the custard and the rice:", "Scoop the rice into a large mixing bowl.", "Pour the hot custard over the rice and, using a whisk, slowly whisk until all of the rice granules are dispersed evenly and the mixture is thoroughly combined.", "Add the vanilla extract.", "Allow the rice pudding to cool completely.", "Serving Suggestions:", "Serve this pudding by itself--it is wonderfully satisfying.", "Variations:", "Tangerine and Lemon Verbena Rice Pudding:", "One of my other favorite flavor combinations is lemon verbena and tangerine.", "Leave out the vanilla and the cardamom, and add 2 tablespoons dried lemon verbena tea leaves or 6 fresh leaves and the zest of one tangerine.", "Cook the custard with the zest and the leaves, and then strain them out when the custard is done.", "Rice Pudding Brulee:", "In a small coastal town in northern Spain, I had an amazing lemony anise version of this pudding served in a flat gratin dish and bruleed on top.", "If you would like to serve this rice pudding like creme brulee, use a 6-ounce ladle to portion the hot rice pudding into 8 gratin or creme brulee dishes.", "Tap the dishes on the counter until the rice pudding settles and flattens out.", "Chill the pudding for 1 hour.", "Coat the top of the custards with granulated sugar and brulee."]
