A traditional British steamed savoury pudding – fluffy dumping style suet pastry layered with tender and succulent braised beef steak – pure comfort food. Once you have prepared this, just let it steam quietly away in the background, whilst you get on with other things. Unmould this pudding at the table and serve it immediately with extra gravy, steamed seasonal greens and mounds of fluffy mashed potatoes. There is an urban myth in the UK, that men ask woman who can cook this delicious savoury pudding to marry them……..be warned…….be careful! Preparation time includes the cooking of the beef steak before the pudding is made and steamed. (This recipe comes from my family’s recipe collection – it was cooked regularly by my grandmother and my mum; the original recipe is written in pencil on a scrap of paper………it was like finding real treasure!)
I am finally posting my recipe for Spotted Dick! This delicious steamed sponge pudding with currants is a British schoolboy favourite from the days when school dinners were not only tasty and nourishing, but may have been the only hot meal of the day for some children. Originally, Spotted Dick would have been made with beef suet and breadcrumbs – this recipe has been updated for modern tastes, and uses vegetarian suet or butter with flour. Serve this with English custard for a comforting and nostalgic flavour explosion! Steaming is so easy, and whilst it bubbles and simmers away, you are free to do other things around the kitchen, such as prepare the custard!
We love Christmas pudding. I make mine in October, and give many away as gifts. I make several sizes, and try to keep about 3 for us-one for Christmas, another for New Year, and the last for around Easter. I find it very satisfying to make these, though I can hardly wait to eat the first one! This recipe is a combination of 2 favourites and works well. If you don’t want to use the stout and brandy, use orange juice as one of the recipes suggested-I think the stout and brandy give the recipe depth of flavour.
