Jeremy Reach

Jeremy Reach of Harleysville, Pa.          
Red, White and Blue Sweet Rice with Cream of Coconut in Rice Noodle Basket
 
Reach attends Northern Montgomery County Technical High School. His recipe, originally submitted in the Family Heritage Dessert category, is “Red, White and Blue Sweet Rice with Cream of Coconut in Rice Noodle Basket.” Born in Thailand, Reach was adopted by his family at the age of there. His recipe is a twist on a traditional Thai dessert; the different colors and tastes reflect his two cultures.
 
Ingredients
1 and 1/2 cups uncooked sweet Korean rice
3 and 1/2 cups thick coconut milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup fresh raspberries (garnish)
1/2 cup fresh blueberries (garnish)
Rasberry and Blueberry Sauces (recipes below)
4 Rice Noodle Baskets (recipe below)
 
Method of Preparation
1. Rinse rice in water several times until water runs clear.
2. Soak rice in lukewarm water for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
3. While rice is soaking, prepare raspberry and blueberry sauces and rice noodle baskets. (See sauce and noodle recipes provided.) Then move on to prepare cream of coconut sauce.
4. For coconut sauce, combine coconut milk, sugar, and salt in medium saucepan. Heat on medium/high until it boils, stirring constantly. Continue stirring and reduce heat slightly. Continue cooking for 15 minutes until sauce reduces to about 2 cups.
5. After rice has soaked 1 hour and 45 minutes, drain rice.
6. Line basket of electric steamer with cheesecloth.
7. Steam rice in electric steamer for 15 minutes.
8. Remove rice in cheesecloth. Flip rice over and steam 10 more minutes.
9. After steaming, stir rice into cream of coconut sauce until rice absorbs the sauce and cols slightly.
10. Prepare 4 plates with raspberry and blueberry sauce.
11. Place rice noodle basket on center of each plate.
12. Put 1 scoop of sweet rice mixture into each basket.
13. Garnish dessert with fresh raspberries and blueberries.
 
Rasberry Sauce
Ingredients
2 cups fresh raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
 
Method of Preparation
1. Cook fruit, sugar, and lemon juice for approximately 10 minutes until fruit is broken down.
2. Remove from heat and strain through a small, fine mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup
3. After cooling, pour sauce into squirt bottle. Use squirt bottle to place sauce on dessert plate.
 
Blueberry Sauce
Ingredients
1 and 3/4 cups blueberries
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
 
Method of Preparation
1. Combine blueberries, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat.
2. Cook until sugar is dissolved and berries have popped.
3. Taste mixture and add more sugar and lemon juice as needed.
4. Strain through a small fine mesh sieve into a liquid measuring cup.
5. Cool slightly and pour into squirt bottle. Use squirt bottle and apply sauce to plate.
 
Rice Noodle Basket
Ingredients
1/4 pound rice noodles (small/thin rice sticks Thai style)
Sugar to taste
Salt to taste
 
Method of Preparation
1. Cook noodles in boiling water in a 5-quart pan for 6 minutes.
2. Rinse in cold water, Drain well.
3. Split noodles into four portions.
4. Deep fry each portion individually.
5. Season each noodle basket with salt and sugar immediately after removing from fryer.