Cabbage pudding

Makes 1 pudding in a 17 cm (6½ inch/No. 30) basin (mould), or make it in roly-poly style. Serves 4–6

1 small savoy cabbage (winter cabbage)

450 g (1 lb) minced (ground) veal or pork

150 g (5½ oz) shredded suet

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground mace

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

4 egg yolks, beaten

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, if using cranberries

20 g (¾ oz) barberries (if you can’t get barberries, use cranberries)

red currant compote or extra berries, for serving

Take off the largest and most beautiful outer leaves of the cabbage, rinse them and set aside to wrap the pudding later. Finely shred and blanch 50 g (1¾ oz) of the remaining cabbage.

Put the meat in a large bowl with the suet and the spices. Pour in the egg yolks, the apple cider vinegar, if using, and the barberries or cranberries and combine by stirring with a wooden spoon. Fold the blanched cabbage in with the meat until you get a texture as for a meat loaf.

Prepare a lightly greased pudding basin by lining it with plastic wrap. Line the basin with most of the reserved cabbage leaves, then add the meat mixture and top it off with a few more cabbage leaves. Prepare the pudding for steaming as instructed, and steam for 1½ hours. Alternatively, make a roly-poly by rolling up a layer of meat mixture with the cabbage leaves.

Serve the pudding turned out on a plate, decorated with some red currant compote or fresh berries. The red colour will be very pretty with the green of the cabbage leaves. Carrot jam is also a nice touch. A bed of spinach and wild garlic, when in season, is a very agreeable accompaniment.