Rhubarb hat

COOKING TIME 2–3 HOURS

SERVES 4–6

Butter, for greasing

90g (3oz) breadcrumbs

30g (1oz) vegetable suet

60g (2oz) caster sugar

½ tsp ground ginger

10g (½oz) stem ginger, chopped

240g (8½oz) fresh rhubarb, chopped

Custard, to serve

For the suet pastry

240g (8½oz) self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting

Pinch of salt

120g (4oz) vegetable suet

GREASE A 1.1-LITRE (2-pint) pudding basin. To make the suet pastry, sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, add the suet and mix with enough cold water to form a fairly stiff dough. Divide the pastry into two thirds and one third. Roll out the larger piece on a floured surface and use to line the greased basin. Reserve the smaller piece for the lid.

TO MAKE THE FILLING, combine the breadcrumbs, suet, sugar and both types of ginger. Place half of the chopped rhubarb into the base of the lined basin. Cover with half of the breadcrumb mixture and repeat with the rest of the rhubarb, then the remaining crumbs.

ON THE FLOURED SURFACE, roll out the smaller piece of pastry and place on top of the pudding, wetting the edges to make it stick. Cover securely with a lid or foil and steam for 2–3 hours. Turn out and serve with custard.