juicy summer pudding recipe
The best summer pudding is made with Panettone or brioche, not sliced white bread. You can use any combination of fruit, even gooseberries, but don't use too many blackcurrants as they will dominate the taste.
serves 8-10
- 900g/2lbs mixed soft fruit – strawberries, raspberries, currants and gooseberries
- 100-175g (3½-6oz) caster sugar, depending on taste
- 6-8 slices of Panettone or brioche
- Cream to serve
Rinse a 1/2litre (2 pint) pudding basin or soufflé dish with cold water. This makes it easier to turn out and helps spread the juice evenly. Cover the base and sides of the dish with the sliced Panettone, reserving some to cover the top.
Top and tail the fruit and put in a pan over a gentle heat. Sprinkle the sugar over the fruit and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the juice begins to run and the fruit is softened. Remove it from the heat and spoon the fruit mixture into the lined bowl.
Add three-quarters of the juice and cover the top with the remaining Panettone. Put a plate that fits inside the bowl on top of the pudding and put a weight on it. Keep in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
Remove the weight and plate and invert onto a flat dish. Pour the saved juice over the top of the pudding and serve with a bowl of cream.
This recipe features on p.263 of Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook.
