Thankfully, we have made it to August and the sunshine has worked it's magic in allotments, gardens and orchards around the country. Berries, currants and plums are at their best right now, and the best way to celebrate is with one of my all-time favourite British recipes - the glorious Summer Pudding.
Its origins are a little uncertain. It may come as a bit of a shock, but the earliest mention is in an American paper (gasp!), though this was for a hot pudding made from fruit, sugar and bread. In the mid 1860’s there were recipes in England which offered a summer pudding as an alternative to high calorie suet puddings under the name of 'Hydropathic Pudding'. Whatever the origin, it is now firmly established as a great British classic.
While there are purists who pontificate on the rights and wrongs of strawberries and the proportion of currants, for me there are only two rules; there must be currants (red, white, black or a mixture), and the bread must be good quality white bread. Supermarket sliced white is a no no, as are expensive 'artisan' sourdoughs or brown bread of any sort. Whilst I’m on a bit of a rant, anything whose name is prefaced by the word 'artisan' will not find it’s way into my kitchen - it is utterly meaningless! Other than that, just play around with different fruit mixtures and see which you like the best.
Wine pairings for Summer Pudding can be a little tricky, but you’ll find Dr Loosen's 'Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese' is perfect. It's super juicy and full of ripe fruit with fabulous, precise acidity.
Ingredients (serves 6)
900g assorted summer berries
300g mixed currants
600g raspberries
45g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, split
Half a lemon, pith removed (you'll need the juice and the peel)
Half a loaf of good white bread, slightly stale, medium-sliced and crusts removed
Butter for greasing
Method
Lightly grease a 1 litre pudding bowl with butter.
Starting on the bottom, line your pudding bowl with slices of bread, cutting the base to fit. The sides should be lined, with no gaps to the rim of the bowl, so cut the bread accordingly.
Pick through the fruit, removing any leaves or stalks.
Add the fruit to small non-reactive pan with sugar, lemon peel and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Scrape the vanilla seeds into the pan, then add the pod.
Bring to a very gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Try not to break too many of the berries - you don’t want it to go mushy.
Taste and add more sugar or lemon juice if desired.
Whilst still warm, use a slotted spoon to add the fruit to the pudding bowl, and then spoon over the juices. Keep any remaining juices for later.
Cut out more bread to form to form a lid. Cover with baking parchment and place a well-fitting plate on top. Place a few weights on top of this and allow to cool to room temperature.
Place in fridge overnight.
Remove weights and plate and put a large serving dish, with a good lip over the top. Turn the whole basin/plate over very gently and place on a flat surface. Give a sharp tap to release the pudding and remove the bowl.
Pour over the reserved juices and fruit.
Serve with proper pouring double cream. Clotted cream or Crème Fraiche would just be plain wrong... that’s rule number three!
The Perfect Wine Match
Dr Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese, Mosel, Germany 2020
Bright, energetic and bursting with tropical fruits. Sweetened by integrated natural residual sugar from late picked grapes (a week or so longer than Kabinett).
