What is the minimal set of ingredients that English rice pudding can be made with?
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:
- 1 part short-grain rice, cooked in
- 4 parts milk
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.)
Pictures about "What is the minimal set of ingredients that English rice pudding can be made with?"
What type of rice is used for rice pudding?
Use long grain converted white rice for a classic, old-fashioned rice pudding. Arborio rice also makes lovely rice pudding, though it tends to absorb a bit more liquid, so expect that you will need to add a bit more hot milk or water towards the end of simmering.Is rice pudding good for your health?
You've got to love that it's made from simple ingredients like rice, milk, sugar and eggs. While this is a dessert, it does offer some nutritional benefits, including almost 10 grams of protein and 15 percent of the daily recommendation for bone-building calcium per cup.How do you make rice pudding with short grain rice?
InstructionsWhat makes rice pudding thicken?
If your rice pudding seems a bit too thin, you can easily thicken with a slurry. I prefer using a single teaspoon cornstarch with a tablespoon of water (or existing milk liquid from the pudding mixture). Stir this together until smooth, then mix into the pudding.Classic Rice Pudding - Old Fashion Creamy Rice Pudding Recipe - One-Pot Method
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Mikhail Nilov, Pixabay, Karolina Grabowska, Karolina Grabowska