gulped, swallowed or chewed, still worth a King’s ransom

[pensnest]

Back in the late '70s/early '80s, I used to read Punch, mostly for the cartoons. I retain a fond memory of one showing a man in medieval tunic with a lit candle strapped to his wrist, and an acolyte to whom he remarked: I prefer the pocket sundial. It doesn't singe the falcon.* I imagine regular readers here will understand why it appealed to me.

Anyway. Clement Freud used to write a food column for this magazine, and on one occasion wrote thus: The best suet pudding in the world is Sussex Pond Pudding. I am not prepared to argue this. If you make it you will find that I am right.

I made one for lunch today. Discovered, in the process, that I no longer possess a proper pudding basin, and that the pressure cooker is solid aluminium and does not work with our induction hob, so I had to steam the pudding in a regular saucepan. It could have used an extra hour, I think, but the butter and sugar had melted into delicious goo, the lemon was sufficiently steamed/soaked in sugar and butter, and the suet pastry, although not quite as fluffy as I would have liked, was not bad. All this with Gluten Free flour, as my BIL and son were present at the feast.

I shall equip myself with a properly shaped pudding basin, and try again. With a bit more margin to allow proper steaming time.


* It was in fact a 'recaption this elderly cartoon', and a jolly good one, too.

Comments

[dine]

I've never had pond pudding, though from various descriptions over the years, it sounds like exactly the sort of thing I'd adore

growing up, my grandmother would make a wonderful steamed carrot pudding around the holidays. after her death, my mom ended up with the pudding steamer thing - basically nested saucepans with holes in the upper one, and we'd make it sometimes. I wonder where that ended up - after several downsizings, I don't know that she kept it, and I doubt my sister took it. maybe I should ask. I mean, it's not like I'm likely to start making puddings all the time, but I'd hate for it to end up in a thrift shop, where no one would know what it was.

hope you can obtain a proper basin soon, so you don't have to mess about with substitutes

[pensnest]

A proper steamer sounds like a wonderful thing! Though I have never heard of steamed carrot pudding. Steamed pudding is splendid, anyway.

[dine]

we always called it carrot pudding, though it also features potatoes. here's our family recipe, which dates way back

steamed carrot pudding

1 c grated raw carrot
1 c grated raw potato
½ c melted butter
1 c brown sugar
2 c raisins
1 scant c flour
1 tsp each nutmeg, baking soda, salt, cinnamon
may also add vanilla to taste

Mix all ingredients & steam in mold for 2 ½ hours

Serve w/ hard sauce, ice cream or whipped cream

[watervole]

Does it look like a pond? Is that the butter/sugar goo?

[pensnest]

In my experience—I've tried this maybe three times—the butter+sugar does not turn into a liquid sauce, it becomes a delicious lemon+calories sludge. It is the 'pond', and think it is supposed to be a liquid. I don't know why mine isn't.

[watervole]

Maybe Suffolk ponds are very sludgy...

[antisoppist]

I tried to make Sussex Pond Pudding for nineveh_uk and it turned out my suet was out of date and what I produced was lemony beef pastry. It usually works!

My mum had a steamer saucepan too. I make do with a pudding dish rattling on a saucer in the bottom of a normal saucepan. I don't know why the rattly saucer is essential unless it's that you know all the water has boiled away when it stops rattling.

[turlough]

For some reason using suet in the pastry and then steaming the pudding sounds very 19th century to me. I would definitely not mind trying it though!

[minoanmiss]

I am awed! I made one of those because GBBO and it was a production but worth it

[rikes]

Looked up a video of Sussex Pond Pudding. INTERESTING. We don't really do puddings here and I've never had anything that was baked with suet either. Butter&sugar goo is delicious though...

[vae]

I still have spare pudding basins if you would like one...