COOKING TIPS
Because many pudding recipes are prepared, assembled and cooked in similar ways, a number of instructions crop up again and again in the recipes throughout this book. This section outlines some of the most commonly used equipment and techniques.
PUDDING BASINS
A book on British puddings wouldn’t be complete without the archetypal steamed variety, with its iconic basin shape. These are among the oldest domestic British puddings – until the 19th century, very few kitchens had ovens, so food had to be boiled or steamed. There are two types of steamed pud: the sponge-based pudding, made like a batter and poured into a greased basin, and those that require suet pastry, which is used to line the basin, producing a crumbly outer crust and dense interior.
In this book we generally use a 1.1 litre (2-pint) basin. Very occasionally we specify a 1.5-litre (2½-pint), 1.7-litre (3-pint) or 2.3-litre (4-pint) basin. Some of our recipes require individual 200ml (7fl oz) basins. If you don’t have the necessary size, feel free to improvise by dividing your ingredients between smaller basins or by multiplying the ingredients to fit a larger one, but never fill the basin more than two-thirds full. (If you don’t have a pudding basin, you can use a regular bowl, but do make sure it’s heatproof and heavy-duty as it will need to withstand several hours submerged in a hot pan of water.) Remember that adjusting the basin size will also affect the cooking time, so check the pudding to determine whether it’s properly cooked.
LINING A BASIN WITH PASTRY
Divide the suet pastry into two thirds and one third and set the smaller piece aside. Grease the pudding basin with butter and dust your work surface with flour. Roll out the larger piece of dough into a rough circle and position it inside the greased basin, pressing it snugly against the edges. Add the other ingredients to the pudding as directed in the recipe, then roll out the smaller piece of dough, wet the edges, and place on top, pushing down gently at the edges so that the two pieces of pastry stick to each other.
An alternative lining method is to roll out the whole piece of dough into a circle, then cut away a quarter to save for the lid. Place the larger piece inside the basin, bring the two cut edges together and press them to join. Once you’ve filled the pudding, re-roll the reserved pastry into a circle that will fit on top and adhere by wetting the edges with water and pushing down, as described above.
COVERING A BASIN
Before steaming, your basin needs to be properly sealed, so that no water can get inside and make the pudding soggy. Nowadays, many pudding basins can be bought with lids. These basins are often plastic. However, if you’re using a traditional ceramic basin or any other bowl, it’s unlikely to have its own lid, so you’ll need to cover the basin with foil and/or greaseproof paper. Ideally, use two layers: one of greaseproof and one of foil. (However, don’t worry if you only have one or the other; simply use a double layer of whatever is available.) Cut a large square of each and lay one on top of the other. With the two held together, fold a pleat down the centre to allow space for the pudding to rise.
Put the covering over the basin, positioning the greaseproof nearest to the pudding, the foil outermost and the pleat across the centre, and fold the edges down around the basin. Secure with string, tied just under the rim of the basin, to make the cover watertight. Also tie a loop of string that you can use as a handle to lower the basin in and out of the pan. Trim off any excess foil/greaseproof.
STEAMING A PUDDING
The most basic way to steam a pudding is over a pan of simmering water. If you have a steamer pan with tiers that stack on top of each other, this is ideal. Otherwise, use a large, deep saucepan with a lid. The pudding basin mustn’t directly touch the bottom of the pan or it will burn, so you’ll need to raise it on a trivet – you can use an upturned saucer, ramekin or scrunched-up disc of foil for this.
Pour enough water into the pan so that it will reach just over halfway up the sides of the basin, then lower the basin onto the trivet and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring the water to a steady simmer and steam the pudding for the allotted time. Try to keep the water at around the same level throughout – check regularly and top up with boiling water from the kettle if it looks low (never add cold water). Don’t be tempted to unwrap the pudding until it’s nearing the end of its cooking time or it may sink.
When ready, use the string handle to raise the basin out of the pan. Cut the string and unwrap the pudding. When cooked, the pudding should be firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre should come out cleanly. If it’s not ready, you’ll need to re-cover the pudding and steam for a little longer.
It’s also possible to steam puddings in an electric steamer and even in a pressure cooker. Some ovens now come with a steamer function. Always refer to the manufacturer’s instructions for advice and be prepared that the cooking time may vary from what’s stated in the recipe – be sure to check the pudding with a skewer as described above.
To remove a pudding from its basin once cooked, run a sharp knife around the edges, place a serving plate upside down on top of the basin and invert the pudding onto the plate.
Shortcrust pastry forms the base of so many delicious tarts and pies. It’s best handled as little as possible, so making it in a food processor is preferable, though instructions are also given for making by hand. Ensure the pastry is rolled out thinly, and these quantities will fit the tins specified, with a small amount left over that you can use for making decorations, or store in the fridge or freezer for another use.
If you prefer a sweeter pastry, the salt can be replaced with a pinch of sugar, but bear in mind that this makes the pastry crumblier and trickier to work with. You can also adapt the pastry by adding grated lemon or orange zest, a pinch of cocoa powder or even seeds from a vanilla pod. Always be sparing, to keep the flavours subtle.
Lines a 20–22cm (8–9in) tart tin (makes 225g/8oz)
130g (4½oz) plain flour
Pinch of salt
65g (2½oz) unsalted butter, chilled
Iced water
Lines a 30cm (12in) tart tin (makes 375g/13oz)
210g (7½oz) plain flour
Pinch of salt
110g (4oz) unsalted butter, chilled
Iced water
SIFT THE FLOUR AND SALT into a food processor (or see below for making by hand). Cut the cold butter into small pieces and drop in on top. Process for 20–30 seconds, then add ice-cold water, a tablespoon at a time, with the machine still running. You should need 2–3 spoonfuls.
IF THE MIXTURE IS STILL crumbly after a minute or two, add another tablespoon of water, but bear in mind that the more water you add, the more the pastry will shrink when blind baked (adding cream or egg yolk instead of water is a solution to this). Once the pastry has come together into a ball, stop the processor, remove the dough and wrap in cling film. Leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.
TO MAKE THE PASTRY by hand, sift the flour and salt into a large bowl then add the chopped butter and work as quickly as you can to rub the fat into the flour with your fingertips. Add water as above, then wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
DUST YOUR WORK SURFACE, rolling pin and hands with flour, then start rolling – always away from you, turning the pastry as you go. Keep the rolling pin and work surface floured to prevent sticking. Once rolled out, slip the rolling pin under the top third of the pastry and pick it up and lay over your greased tin or dish. Never stretch it as it will just shrink back. Try to chill the unbaked pastry case in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before use. Depending on the pudding recipe you are following, you may need to blind bake the pastry case (see here) before filling it.
Whether you’ve made the pastry from scratch or are using store-bought, it should be chilled before you begin. Dust a clean work surface with flour and gently roll out the chilled pastry, rolling away from yourself and turning the pastry at intervals to keep it roughly circular. Roll until the pastry is larger than the diameter of the tart tin and around 5mm (¼in) in thickness. To check it is large enough, place the tart tin gently on top and ensure there is enough excess all the way around to sufficiently line the sides.
Thoroughly grease the tin (if it’s fluted, a pastry brush can be helpful for greasing into the creases). Place your rolling pin on top of the rolled-out pastry and loosely roll it up around the pin. Lift the pin up, position it above the tin and unroll the pastry into place. Ensure it is central, with the same amount of excess all the way round.
Gently ease the pastry into the base and sides of the tin, being careful not to tear or dent it with your fingertips. Trim any excess from the edges with a sharp knife, allowing a little bit of extra to account for any shrinking. Prick the base of the pastry with a fork and chill the pastry case in the fridge for up to 30 minutes – this helps to reduce shrinkage. Once chilled, either blind bake (see here) or fill immediately, depending on the pudding recipe you are following.
‘Blind baking’ is the process of baking an empty tart or pie case before it is filled. It ensures that the base of the pastry is crisp and cooked through and isn’t made soggy by the addition of the filling. As directed above, the case should be pricked with a fork and chilled for up to 30 minutes before blind baking.
Preheat the oven to 190°C (400°F), Gas Mark 5. Cut a circle of greaseproof paper or baking parchment and place it inside the pastry case. Fill with baking beans (you can use uncooked rice or lentils as an alternative), spreading them out to evenly cover the base. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. Remove the baking beans and paper and put back in the oven for 10 minutes until the base is cooked. Allow to cool and then fill the case as required.