This is a celebration of the English summer, so make it with homegrown fruit if you possibly can. The mix of fruits should be governed by what is in season. Try for a balance of sweet and tart fruits – say, strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants and blueberries. You will need a 900ml pudding basin and a plate small enough to fit inside the rim.
Ingredients
- 600 g mixed ripe soft fruits
- 100 g caster sugar
- 8 medium thick slices of one-or two-day-old white bread, crusts removed
How to Make It
- Put the fruits and sugar into a heavy-based pan over a medium heat, stir together and bring just to the boil, stirring regularly. Simmer for 1 minute only, then remove from the heat. The fruits will release a fair amount of juice.
- Line the base and sides of a 900 ml pudding basin with slices of bread, overlapping them slightly and cutting them to fit as necessary. Reserve a slice or two for the lid.
- Now fill the basin with all of the fruit and most of the juice, saving a few tablespoonfuls (or more) for serving. You may find you have more juice than you need; this depends on the fruit and its ripeness.
- Cut the reserved bread to fit the top, sit a plate on top that just fits inside the rim and weight it with a couple of tins from the cupboard. Refrigerate for about 8 hours.
- To serve, invert the pudding on to a large plate and pour over the reserved juice. Serve with cream.
