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Traditional Christmas plum pudding

Andrew Nutter from Food Uncut
Katie Bishop gives us a taste of tradition with this time-tested pudding recipe, served with a brandy sauce and frosted berries

Traditional Christmas plum pudding

Method

1. Make the pudding a few days before serving. Butter a large pudding basin and coat a cloth with flour ready to cover the pudding. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, suet, sultanas, raisins, currants, candied peel, flour, breadcrumbs, almonds, lemon zest, nutmeg and salt. Stir in the eggs, milk and brandy and mix well.

3. Place the mixture in the buttered pudding basing, cover with the floured cloth and secure tightly with string. Prepare a steamer with boiling water, add the pudding basin and cook at a gentle simmer for 5-6 hours, topping up the water level regularly.

4. On the day of serving, reheat the pudding by steaming it again for at least 2 hours.

5. To make the decorations, dust the bay leaves and fruit in sugar. Dip them individually into the beaten egg whites then set aside to harden.

6. Meanwhile, make the brandy sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and allow the mixture to simmer slowly for 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the milk and caster sugar, plus generous tablespoons of brandy depending on how strong you like the sauce. Gently bring to the boil, stirring all the time and cook for 4-5 minutes.

7. Turn the hot pudding out of the basin, decorate the top with the sugared bay and fruit and serve with the brandy sauce.

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Serves: 7-8

Prep: 45 min, plus standing time
Cook: 8 hrs

Ingredients
120g soft brown sugar
120g suet, chopped or grated
120g sultanas
120g raisins, halved but not chopped
60g currants
60g shredded mixed candied peel
60g plain flour
60g breadcrumbs
30g almonds, finely chopped or ground
1 lemon, grated zest only
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Eggs
150ml Milk
150ml Brandy