Pudding Bliss

They bake them in the oven, they boil them with meat, they make them fifty different ways. Blessed be he that invented the pudding – to come in pudding time is to come to the most lucky moment in the world. M. François Misson, visiting England in 1698.

M is what you would call a pudding-freak- He’s had almost all kinds of puddings (being in the Navy one gets to try a zillion kinds of desserts) and has a memory or story etched to each. Now this is one that was served every once in a while at the NDA Dining Hall. Although he never liked it back then he did say it tastes waaay better when I made it the other day. But no, I’m not puffed up with pride as I’m pretty sure he’s forgotten whether it was good or not so much. ..As Friedrich Nietzsche said
The advantage of a bad memory is that one enjoys several times the same good things for the first time…

Called The Queen of Puddings, this dish, based on a 17th Century version, was created for Queen Victoria by her chefs at Buckingham Palace. Usually it is flavored with lemon zest and vanilla, but for variety, apricots or peaches may be placed on top of the custard mixture instead of jam when it is set and before it is covered with the meringue.

1 ½ cups fresh breadcrumbs
4 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp grated rind of 1 lemon
2 ½ cups milk
4 eggs
3 tbsp heated jam (you can try any flavour)

Preheat oven to 160 C.

Mix together the bread crumbs, 2 tbsp of the sugar and the lemon rind.
Bring the milk to boil and stir in the bread crumb mixture.

Separate three of the eggs and beat the yolks along with the whole egg.

Stir into the breadcrumb mixture and pour the entire thing into a buttered baking dish.

Leave to stand for half an hour and then bake for 1 hour

Meanwhile whisk the 3 egg whites in a large bowl until stiff, but take care not to over whip. Gradually add in the remaining 2 tbsp of sugar and whisk a bit more.

Spread the heated jam over the baked pudding and then spoon in the meringue to cover the top completely.

Sprinkle the remaining sugar and bake until the meringue browns(15 minutes or so). Serve hot.

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Posted by s on October 6, 2009

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