Lemon is the citrus fruit that normally features in a Sussex pond pudding, but the thin-skinned clementine makes a delightful alternative, says Olivia Potts.
As they steam, the clementines almost candify inside, bathed in the spiced melted butter and sugar sauce, and the pastry is suffused with butter and infused with the fragrant spiced fruit.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 200g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
- 100g shredded suet
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 125ml whole milk
- 100g butter, cut into small dice, plus extra for greasing
- 100g light soft brown sugar
- ½ tsp ground mixed spice
- 2 clementines
Method
- First, generously grease a 600ml pudding basin (approx. 16cm diameter) with butter, and put a full kettle on to boil.
- Whisk together the self-raising flour, suet, and salt in a bowl. Add the milk and bring it together into a dough, first with a knife, then, as the mixture becomes more cohesive, with your hands.
- Reserve a quarter of the pastry for the lid, and roll out the rest using a floured rolling pin to make a large circle. Ease this into the greased pudding basin and smooth it so it is flush against the side of the basin.
- Toss the diced butter, sugar and mixed spice together in a bowl, and place a layer in the bottom of the pastry-lined basin.
- Prick the clementines all over with a sharp skewer. Place them in the pudding basin, side by side, and fill the rest of the cavity with the remaining spiced butter and sugar. Roll the reserved pastry into a 16cm circle, for the lid. Wet the edges of the pastry case with a little water, then place the lid on top, pressing gently to seal.
- To prepare the pudding basin, place a piece of baking paper on top of a piece of tin foil, and fold both along the middle to create a pleat (this is so when the pudding expands, it doesn’t burst out of the paper). Place these two folded sheets over the top of the pudding basin, centring the pleat. Tie tightly with string. Alternatively, if you have heat-safe clingfilm, you can place a pleated disc of baking paper over the top of the pudding basin, and wrap the whole pudding basin twice-round in heat-safe clingfilm.
- To steam, place a clean tea towel in the base of a large saucepan. Fill the pan halfway up with boiling water. Lower the prepared pudding into the pan: the water should come about two-thirds of the way up the pudding basin. Put the pan over a very low heat and cover with a lid. Steam for 3 hours. Keep an eye on the water level, checking every 30 minutes or so: it is dangerous for the pan to boil dry, so top up with boiling water from the kettle, if needed.
- To serve, lift the basin carefully from the pan of water, and remove the wrappings and any string. Run a knife around the edge of the basin, being careful not to cut into the pastry. Place a serving plate over the top of the pudding, and swiftly invert.
Taken from Butter: A Celebration by Olivia Potts, published by Headline at £26. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £20.99 (incl. p&p), call 020-3176 3835 or visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.
-
A little-visited Indian Ocean archipelagoThe Week Recommends The paradise of the Union of the Comoros features beautiful beaches, colourful coral reefs and lush forests
-
Diane Keaton: the Oscar-winning star of Annie HallIn the Spotlight Something’s Gotta Give actor dies from pneumonia at the age of 79
-
Heirs and Graces: an ‘enthralling’ deep dive into the decline of nobilityThe Week Recommends Eleanor Doughty explores the ‘bizarre fascination’ with the British aristocracy
-
6 sporty homes with tennis courtsFeature Featuring a clay tennis court in New York and a viewing deck in California
-
Critics’ choice: Seafood in the spotlightFeature An experimental chef, a newspaper-worthy newcomer, and a dining titan’s fresh spin-off
-
Taylor Swift’s Showgirl: Much glitter, little goldFeature Swift’s new album has broken records, but critics say she may have gotten herself creatively stuck
-
Theater review: Masquerade218 W. 57th St., New York City 218 W. 57th St., New York City
-
Film reviews: Roofman and Kiss of the Spider WomanFeature An escaped felon’s heart threatens to give him away and a prisoner escapes into daydreams of J.Lo.
