Oriental ginger pudding

COOKING TIME 1½ HOURS

SERVES 4–6

Butter, for greasing

180g (6½oz) self-raising flour

Pinch of salt

2 tsp ground ginger

90g (3oz) vegetable suet

45g (1½oz) soft dark brown sugar

45g (1½oz) stem ginger, chopped

3 tbsp golden syrup, warmed, plus extra to serve

1 egg, beaten

Custard, to serve

LIGHTLY GREASE A 1.1-LITRE (2-pint) pudding basin. Sift together the flour, salt and ground ginger into a mixing bowl. Add the suet, sugar and chopped stem ginger and mix to combine, then add the warmed syrup and beaten egg and mix well.

POUR THE MIXTURE INTO THE GREASED BASIN, cover securely with a lid or foil and steam for 1½ hours. Turn out onto a warmed dish and serve with extra syrup and custard.

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Another of our Pudding Rooms, where you can sleep under the watchful gaze of a fearsome ginger dragon. Although commonplace in many traditional British recipes, ginger is far from native to our shores. It appeared in Britain in the 1640s, imported from Asia, but was quickly adopted into our own cuisine.

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