From Tallulah’s Kitchen: Spotted Dick
Hello my fellow foodies and welcome to December’s edition of The Listing.
As we draw close to the end of an extraordinary year I have decided to mark the changes by sharing a comforting, traditional pudding in the hope that a little familiarity in this upside-down year gives way to a more positive and settled New Year.
Spotted Dick
250g Self raising flour
125g Shredded suet (vegetable suet works just as well a regular beef suet here)
200g Currants
100g Caster sugar
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
160ml milk
You will also need a heat proof pudding bowl, grease proof paper, foil and string (food friendly)
So, let’s begin by popping the flour, suet, currants, sugar and lemon zest in a mixing bowl and pour in the milk and mix to a firm but moist dough. You may need to add another glugg or two of milk to achieve the correct texture, but take care not to overdo it. Next put the dough into the well greased pudding bowl and cover first with grease proof paper and next with foil, and finish by tying these in place to form a tight and secure seal.
Next pop the bowl into a sauce pan (one with plenty of room around it and a tight fitting lid) and pour boiling water into the saucepan until it is half way up the level of the bowl. Pop on the lid and bring to a gentle simmer. Now this needs to cook for 90mins. (Some people like to stand the pudding bowl on an upturned pastry cutter to take the direct heat off the bottom of the bowl, and some like to weigh down the top of the pudding with a heavy plate- if this works for you then go ahead!) You will need to occasionally check the water level and top up if necessary, but take care not to do it too often as this will increase your cooking time, equally letting it boil dry has disastrous consequences too!
Once the pudding has finished cooking, carefully remove from the saucepan and leave to stand for 10 minutes before cutting up and serving with lashings of thick creamy custard.
Until next time dear reader…
Talullah Le Fey
