Spotted Dick with Custard
A steamed suet pudding studded with plump currants, sliced thickly and served swimming in a jug of proper vanilla custard. It has an unfortunate name and no rival on a cold January evening.
Ingredients
250 g self-raising flour
125 g shredded beef suet (or vegetable suet)
75 g caster sugar
150 g currants
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
150 ml whole milk
500 ml whole milk (custard)
150 ml double cream (custard)
1 vanilla pod, split (custard)
4 large egg yolks (custard)
60 g caster sugar (custard)
Method
- 1
Mix the flour, suet, sugar, currants and lemon zest in a bowl, then stir in the milk to a soft, sticky dough.
- 2
Turn out onto a floured board, shape into a fat sausage about 20 cm long and wrap loosely in a pleated sheet of buttered greaseproof paper, then in foil. Tie the ends.
- 3
Place on a trivet or upturned saucer in a large pan, pour in boiling water to come halfway up the pudding, cover tightly, and steam for 1½ hours. Top up with boiling water as needed.
- 4
For the custard, warm the milk, cream and vanilla in a pan just to a bare simmer. Whisk the yolks and sugar together, then pour on the hot cream, whisking. Return to the pan and stir over a very low heat with a wooden spoon until it thickly coats the back — do not let it boil.
- 5
Unwrap the pudding, cut into thick slices and serve in shallow bowls, drowned in warm custard.
Cook's notes
If a steamed pudding sounds like too much fuss, this can be baked in a lined loaf tin at 180°C for 45 minutes — it is denser but still very good.