Laotian Baked Coconut Rice Pudding

Ingredients

 * 90g3oz scant 1 cup short or sround-grain pudding rice
 * 600ml/1 pint/2.5 cups coconut milk
 * 300ml cups milk
 * 1 large strip lime rind
 * 60g/2oz cup caster sugar
 * stick of butter (40z)
 * pinch of ground star anise
 * fresh or stewed fruit

Directions

 * 1) Mix the rice with the coconut milk, milk, lime rind and sugar.
 * 2) Pour the rice mixture into a lightly-greased 1.4 litre shollow ovenproff dish and dot the surface with a little butter. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
 * 3) Remove and discard the strip of lime.
 * 4) Stir the pudding well, add the pinch of ground star anise, if using, return to the oven and cook for a further 1-2 hours or until almost all the milk has been absorbed and a golden brown skin has baked on the top of the pudding.
 * 5) Cover the top of the pudding with foil if it starts to brown too much to wards the end of the cooking time.
 * 6) Serve the pudding warm or chilled with fresh or stewed fruit.