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November 18, 2007
Christmas Pudding
I've threatened to do this for years.
This year I'm making an old-fashioned, steamed Christmas Pudding, based on the recipe in Lobscouse and Spotted Dog: Which It's a Gastronomic Companion to the Aubrey/Maturin Novels. I mixed it up yesterday (a gluten-free version, of course!).
First, I mixed together two cups of gluten-free breadcrumbs (from a previous batch of half-decent gluten-free drop biscuits), a cup of white rice flour, half a cup of brown sugar, half a teaspoon of salt (hmm, did I remember to add the salt?), and spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. To this mix I added a cup of currants, a cup of raisins, and a cup of sultanas, some lemon zest, and 1/3 candied citron. (And if I do this again, I'll skip the citron. It's disgusting.)
I also added a little orange juice concentrate. I think that traditional puddings involve nuts, but I don't like to tempt fate.
When you mix all that up, you get something like this:
Then, to be really authentic, you've got to use beef suet. Mmmm, yummy beef suet. Here is what two pounds of beef suet looks like:
This stuff is truly disgusting. It gets rubbery and melty and gross quickly, so you have to grate it into your concoction while it's still half-frozen. Work quickly. Trust me.
I used a quarter pound of suet, and then added three eggs and half a cup of brandy:
Mix it all up really well, with your hands.
Then comes the steaming. You are instructed to put your pudding in a greased pudding basin; you tie a cotton cloth around it, with cotton string, and place it in a boiling water bath. Steam for at least five hours. Since I don't have a pudding basin, I just used a large ceramic bowl. I think the bowl was too big.
When it was finished steaming, mine looked like this:
I have no idea what it's supposed to look like at this stage.
I poured another quarter cup of brandy over it, covered it tightly and tossed it into the fridge. It will stay there until Christmas, at which point we'll steam it again before serving, douse it with more brandy and light it on fire.
Who wants to join us?
Posted by lynx at November 18, 2007 5:11 PM
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Comments
So, what are you going to make with your left-over suet? I don't know why, but that recipe makes me lol. Maybe it's the suet, or all the brandy (that alone has to help, right?) or the fire, or maybe I'm easily amused this morning.
Enjoy,
Karen
Posted by: Karenciavo at November 19, 2007 8:11 AM
OK, that is just nasty. Nasty with raisins in it nasty. What a waste of good brandy.
Posted by: angie at November 19, 2007 6:38 PM
It looks pretty good, actually. Do you keep it all the way until Christmas? Or can it be eaten the same day you make it?
Posted by: Elisheva Levin at November 19, 2007 9:22 PM
um, i think you can buy them at williams sonoma....but i applaud the effort :-) can't wait to hear how it turns out!
Posted by: sozzled at November 20, 2007 10:07 PM
e, NOW you tell me. Thanks!
Elisheva, my sources tell me that a pudding like this isn't worth touching unless it's aged AT LEAST a week or two. Apparently some people make them a year ahead. I'm not that brave.
Aw, Angie - I didn't use *good* brandy.
Karen, I tossed the rest of the suet in a fit of disgust. As soon as I did that I realized that we could have used it to make feed for birds. That would have been fun. At any rate, the stuff is cheap.
Posted by: Stephanie at November 21, 2007 1:48 AM
Your post intrigued me so much that when I spotted a Christmas pudding six-pack at the grocery store yesterday, I grabbed them.
These were in little plastic cups that you microwave for 30 seconds and invert on a plate, theoretically producing a festive holiday treat. All I will say is, they definitely need to be doused with something and set on fire.
I made everyone eat one. The children just kept asking Why? WHY?
Cheers!
Posted by: Lynne at November 21, 2007 4:29 AM
My sone loves that! I don't, but I always tend to make things I don't like. Thanks for the recipe. How do you make gluten free biscuts and what do you look for. The reason I'm asking is they just told us my little brother is allergic to gluten. He's 35, so we have never thought of it before. Got curious when I saw it on your post.
Thanks!
Toodles!
Posted by: kitten (Katie) at November 28, 2007 8:26 AM
OMG! You have that book? I've wanted that book all year. How FUN! I can't wait to hear how it tastes, but wow, that's one hideous looking concoction. Then, I think of Mexican food, which I love, but no matter what I do to it, it comes out of the oven looking somewhat... erm, recycled.
Posted by: Dy at November 29, 2007 1:20 PM