Sandra’s Taste of Britain – July 2012

“Critique your wine, and analyse your meat,

Yet on plain pudding deign at home to eat”

– (Old Saying)

OF COURSE I knew when we moved to Florida that we would have warm weather, that was the main objective, although liking Wisconsin and our friends, I couldn’t stand the winter weather any more. However, even for us it has been beastly hot already, and it doesn’t help that our air conditioning is on the fritz too, but we are getting that replaced in a couple of days.

I was reviewing some of the requests I have had, and decided to start covering them. I so appreciate hearing from many of you, and thank you, for being patient with my responding.

Although fresh fruits and vegetables are available pretty much all year round now, I always try to use the seasonal products when they are locally at their best. One traditional and very easy British recipe is Summer Pudding, and I apologise to reader D Williams for not featuring this at her request before. Summer pudding in Victorian days was known as “Hydropathic pudding” because it was made up for recuperating patients, who were not allowed the rich desserts of the time.

The most important ingredient is a good quality bread of substance; it can’t be too light. You can use any kind of fruit with this, and I usually like to use a mix of them. I have used frozen at times, and it worked but you have to be sure to drain them well after thawing so it won’t be too liquid

It is better made well ahead so it has time to infuse. Sometimes I like to jazz it up a bit with a bit of plonk such as Chambord, or Creme de framboise (blackcurrant or raspberry liquors), I add it after the fruit has cooked.

Be sure to use ripe fruit, and it is luverly served with a heavy pouring cream or if you can get it Devon/Clotted cream.

I hope you like my version

Summer Pudding

2 quarts (about 3lbs), of fresh ripe blackberries, strawberries, raspberries. Red currants or whatever you have)
1½ cup sugar
10-12 slices good bakery bread, crusts removed
Heavy cream

Pick over fruit and remove any spoilt parts and stems or caps. Wash in colander, drain well. Place in large saucepan, sprinkle with the sugar and gently bring to a low boil for about 2-3 minutes, don’t overcook or it will be too much

Lightly grease a pudding bowl or mould. Cut bread into slices and line the bowl, overlapping slices so there are no gaps. Ladle the fruit into lined bowl, and cover with bread slices. Cover with a plate and 2-3lb weight (such as a tin of fruit or vegetables, unopened of course!!) Refrigerate overnight or at least 12 hours. The bread will be saturated with the fruit juices (If there is any juice left over after ladling in the fruit, reserve and pour over the pudding when serving.) To remove the pudding from the bowl, remove the weight and plate, place a serving bowl upside down on the plate, and quickly invert the bowl and give a little shake. The pudding should slide out. Slice into serving wedges, and serve with the cream … yummy!

Yield about 6-8- servings.

(Last May’s recipe of the fruity gingerbread, omitted to say …“add … .the ginger and other fruits with the brown sugar and add the syrup mixture)”

(I welcome comments, recipes and requests and can be reached at Yourcuppatea1@yahoo.com.)