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1
Place the short-grain rice in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover generously. Bring to a simmer and cook until the grains are completely soft and the water is absorbed. The rice must offer no resistance when pressed between two fingers.
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2
Add the milk and sugar to the cooked rice. Cook over a moderate heat, stirring regularly, until the mixture reduces to a creamy, thickened consistency that coats the back of a spoon and holds a line drawn through it.
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3
Remove from the heat. Stir in the rosewater. Divide the pudding equally among four individual clay pots (güveç). Allow to cool briefly, then refrigerate until fully set and cold.
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4
This is where the dish lives or dies: place the cold, set clay pots directly under a hot broiler. The surface must colour, blister, and develop a caramelised brown-spotted skin before the pudding beneath has time to heat through. If the pudding heats through first, it will curdle. Watch the surface — remove the pots the moment the skin is deeply spotted and caramelised.
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5
Return the broiled pots to the refrigerator and chill completely. As the pots cool, the caramelised skin sinks slightly — this is the characteristic appearance of fırın sütlaç. Serve cold.