Lumpy custard and sponge: no wonder our puddings have an image problem

One reason not to be wholly despondent about the onset of winter is that it provides an excuse to increase one's consumption of what must surely be one of the most underrated types of food: the English pudding. I use the word "underrated" advisedly. Although there has been a marked renewal of interest in British cooking in recent years, we seem reluctant to acknowledge our rich heritage of desserts. The reason for this, I suspect, is the near-irreparable damage done to them over the years by school chefs. So many childhoods have been blighted by lumpy custard, spotted dick and chocolate sponge pudding. Is it any wonder that our puddings have an image problem?

Yet, as Mary Norwak points out in her book English Puddings (just reissued by Grub Street Press), we were once famous for our desserts. In the 17th and 18th centuries, our puddings were the envy of Europe. Even the French had a sneaking admiration for things such as custard (creme anglaise to them), trifle and plum pudding. What people admired most about our sweets was their variety. What a shame that today we rarely stray beyond a few favourites. Below, I offer the recipe for my all-time favourite, Sussex pond pudding. This quintessentially English dish is a steamed pudding made using suet. It would be a pity if this puts people off, because Sussex pond pudding is a glorious thing. The suet is used to make a pastry, which encases a filling of butter, brown sugar and whole lemon. When cooked, the lemon, sugar and butter coalesce into a delicious juice, which oozes through the pastry. Because the sugar is brown, the juice has a murky aspect - hence the name "Sussex pond". One variation is to use dried fruit instead of lemon; then the dish becomes "Kentish wells pudding".

To make Sussex pond pudding to feed six, first make a pastry from 9-10oz self-raising flour, 4-5oz suet and a 50:50 mix of milk and water. The method is the same as for normal pastry: rub the flour and suet together until crumbly, then add enough liquid to form a ball. Grease a pudding basin and line the inside with the pastry, reserving some for the "cap". Now mix together 4oz soft brown sugar and 4oz butter. Spread half this mixture inside the pastry; add two whole lemons that you have punctured with a skewer; then cover with the rest of the butter mixture. Add the cap, cover with a layer of butter paper, and steam the pudding for 4-6 hours. The simplest way to do this is to cover the top of the basin with a layer of kitchen foil before placing it in a large pan partially filled with hot water.

Place a lid on the pan, and put either in a low oven or on top of the stove: the point is to keep a gentle simmer going. When the pudding is ready, up-end on to a dish and serve with cream.

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