While reading the Wikipedia article on rice pudding, my curiosity has gotten the better of me. Clearly, any flavourings, spices, toppings or sweeteners will be optional and the article also explicitly states that eggs are optional.
Referring specifically to their section on the UK variants, it seems to be the case that the minimal set of ingredients is either milk, rice, and cream or milk, rice, and butter. This has me quite surprised, as both experience and the earlier parts of the article have suggested that milk is normally a good enough substitute for cream, so I see no reason why it wouldn't be possible to make rice pudding with either just milk and rice or just rice and cream.
However, I've yet to see a recipe for either of these two minimalist options. Is there any practical reason why this wouldn't work?
Best Answer
The absolute minimalist version needs 2 ingredients:
If cooked long enough and especially when stirred diligently, the rice will release enough starch to create a creamy, mushy texture, like risotto. But for rice pudding, the rice is usually cooked softer than risotto, which should have a bit of a “bite”.
You can stop at this point and will have a perfectly fine dish, but probably a bit on the bland side, with just a hint of sweetness from the starch and milk. But it can be a neutral base for fresh fruit, applesauce, ...
I personally would always add a pinch of salt and, if going for an especially rich taste, a splash of cream when fully cooked.
All spices are optional, they change the flavor profile and that’s where the cook’s creativity can shine. Roughly the same is true for sugar or other sweeteners. (I like to add sugar after cooking, sometimes even as topping for each serving, because I feel that cooking without sugar reduces the risk of sticking/burning and because it seems that I need to add less for the same perceived sweetness.)