Christmas Pudding
12 Servings
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking by Ron Miller.
Notes:
If you intend to make this recipe substituting butter for beef suet, consider making one of each; the difference is dramatic. This is because of the relative melting point of butter and suet. Butter melts at a temperature not much above room temperature, so as the pudding begins to heat up during the cooking process the butter melts very early and gets absorbed into the batter before it begins to set up. Beef suet, on the other hand, melts at a relatively high temperature, so it doesn't melt until after the batter begins to set up. The result is a multitude of tiny air pockets left behind which gives the pudding lightness and airiness as opposed to the butter version which, in contrast, feels pasty and greasy.
Beef suet is the dry, pearly-white fat that surrounds the kidney. Talk to your butcher a week in advance, and ask him to save this fat for you when he breaks down his next order of short loins.
Pudding molds are usually two- or three-quart fluted tin molds, sometimes with a shaft through the middle, fitted with a tight-fitting lid held on by spring clasps. A large round metal, glass, or ceramic basin, sealed with aluminum foil and a heavy plate, can substitute.
I've heard accounts that some puddings were made months in advance, and then regularly doused with brandy during its "rest" period. I can't imagine the extra gaminess would be to my liking, but I'm not adverse to trying it if some adventurous soul wants to do it and then give me a taste.
Hard sauce is the traditional accompaniment, but I think the pudding is sweet enough, so I go for whipped cream instead.
Set aside a full day early in the holiday season to make your pudding. While it is not labor-intensive, the process takes about five or six hours from start to finish, so plan to be at home to watch over it.
Divide the raisins in half. Coarsely chop one-half of them. Combine all the raisins, the currants, and the water in a covered saucepan and simmer gently for 20 minutes Remove the cover and reduce, while stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has been absorbed or evaporated. Set aside for at least one hour to cool completely.
Pick through the suet to remove the membranes holding the pieces together, and discard any fat that is red with blood. Finely dice, and then finely chop 8 ounces of the purest suet; be sure the suet is well chilled or it will melt on the edges and become pasty while chopping. The suet can be ground but the texture of the pudding will be much more interesting if you chop it with a knife. Spread the chopped suet onto a sheetpan or a cookie sheet, and the chill it for one hour before proceeding. Render the rest of the fat into lard, or discard it.
Combine, in a bowl, the flour and beef suet. Rub together until the suet pieces are are coated with flour and separate, and then add the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, toasted almonds, and salt. Mix until well blended.
Whisk together the eggs, brandy, and sherry in a separate bowl until well blended. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture along with the cooked raisins, and mix well. Generously grease the inside of the pudding mold and its lid. Pour in the pudding mixture, leaving at least one inch of head space for expansion.
Set the pudding on a towel arranged in the bottom of a pot large enough to comfortably hold the pudding mold. Pour into the pot enough boiling water to come two-thirds up the side of the mold.
Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain the water at a gentle simmer. Steam the pudding for about 3 1/2 hours, replenishing the water when needed. When done, the pudding will be firm in the center and dark around the edges.
Remove the pudding from the steaming pot. The pudding can be served now, warm, after a short rest, but it will most likely be cooked early in the season, so let the pudding cool completely. Unmold the pudding, and wrap in plastic. Put the pudding back into the mold and refrigerate, up to several weeks, until ready to serve.
To serve:
If using a previously-cooked pudding, unwrap the pudding and put it back into its mold. Let it come to room temperature, and then gently steam it as before for one hour. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Before serving, whip the cream to soft peaks with the sugar to taste. Add the cream sherry to the whipped cream and mix until blended. Just before serving, gently heat the brandy until hot but below simmer.
Unmold the pudding onto a platter. Turn out the lights in the dining room. Light the brandy in the pot, and then, just before entering the dining room, pour the flaming brandy over the pudding.
Serve slices of the warm pudding with the whipped cream.