We knew that summer had arrived in our family when we had the first summer pudding of the year. The summer pudding would always include red currants and a combination of other fruit depending on what was available in the garden – rhubarb, blackcurrants, white currants, gooseberries, damsons, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. It was made in a pudding basin and it was always a moment of drama as to whether it would come nicely out of the pudding basin once unmoulded. I have since then discovered the summer pudding loaf made in a 1lb loaf tin which is not only easier to line with bread but also keeps its shape once cut.
Ingredients
- Loaf of white bread
- 2.2 1
- lb/1kg mixed fruit
- 3oz /175g sugar
Method
- Put the sugar into a saucepan along with 3tbsp water and heat it gently to dissolve the sugar
- Bring to a boil and boil for one minute
- Add all the fruit and gently cook for a further three minutes, stirring a couple of times
- The fruit should be soft but not lost all its shape
- Tip the fruit into a sieve and drain the juice
- Grease the loaf tin or pudding basin or line with layers of clingfilm
- Cut the crusts off the bread and dip them in the juice so that they pick up colour and line the basin starting with the bottom and then sides. If you are using a loaf tin and your loaf is unsliced, you can always cut the slices along the length of the loaf to make it quicker
- Add all the fruit mixture and then top with the last remaining slices of bread. Pour some of the remaining juice over the top and then fold the clingfilm over the top and use a plate and cans of beans to press the pudding down ( grease the plate with a little oil if not using clingfilm to prevent it sticking)
- Leave for 8 hours in the fridge
- Once you are ready to serve, use a palate knife to ease the bread away from the sides and placing your serving plate on top , invert the tin so that the pudding drops gently onto the plate
- Use the last of the remaining juice to colour any remaining white patches
- Serve with any spare fruit and sauce
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has a recipe for an Autumn Pudding using apple, pears, blackberries and other autumn fruits.