Recipe: Teurgoule from Château de Lez-Eaux

Teurgoule, a Normandy tradition

Teurgoule — which literally means “twist your mouth”, or in local dialect “enjoy it until the last bite” — is one of Normandy’s most iconic desserts. It dates back to the 17th century, when farming families would use the gentle, lingering heat of the bread oven to let this creamy rice pudding cook slowly for several hours.

The Château de Lez-Eaux Recipe :

• 1 litre whole milk (raw milk if possible)

• 65 g round rice

• 70 g sugar

• 1 pinch of salt

• 1 vanilla pod (or traditionally 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon or one cinnamon stick)

Mix all the ingredients together in a large earthenware dish. Place the dish in the still-warm oven once the bread has been baked, and let the magic happen for around 3 hours.

The top should form a golden, almost caramelised crust, while the inside stays soft, creamy and wonderfully comforting — exactly as a true Normandy teurgoule should be.