Nigel Slater's Plum Bread Pudding
Recipe adapted from Notes from the Larder, by Nigel Slater (Ten Speed Press)
To learn more about this recipe, check out our story "Plum Project."
Recipe adapted from Notes from the Larder, by Nigel Slater (Ten Speed Press)
A Pudding for Autumn
Cookbook author Nigel Slater swaps plums in for currants in this deeply flavored bread pudding.
Prep Time
30
minutes
Cook Time
30
minutes
servings
6
pudding or 6 individual puddings
Total time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 1⅔ pounds whole plums
- ½ cup superfine sugar (plus more if needed)
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups raspberries
- 2 cups blackberries
- 2 cups blueberries
- Scant ½ cup sloe gin
- 10 to 12 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
Directions
- Bring the plums, sugar and water to a boil over high heat in a medium stainless steel or enameled saucepan. (If the plums are on the tart side, add a little more sugar.) As soon as the fruit is thoroughly soft, after about 15 minutes, turn off the heat and set aside until the fruit is cool enough to handle.
- Squeeze the pits from the fruit and discard the pits. Return the saucepan to low heat and add the raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and sloe gin. Cook until the fruit starts to burst, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
- Use a round cookie cutter to cut a disk of bread to fit the bottom of a 6-cup bowl (if using ramekins, cut 6 disks). Dip one side of the bread in the berry liquid and place it in the bottom of the bowl. Slice the remaining bread into wide strips (the exact measurements depend on whether you are making 1 large or 6 individual puddings). Dip one side of a bread strip briefly into the berry liquid and arrange the strips around the sides of the dish, flush against one another (you don't want any gaps).
- When the bowl/ramekins are completely lined with bread, fill with the remaining fruit and juice (it should come right to the top). Add the remaining pieces of bread to the top of the berries, fitting them tightly together so there are no gaps. Set a large sheet of plastic wrap flush over the top of the bread, place the bowl on a plate (to catch any stray juice) and set in the fridge with a heavy weight on top (like a can of tomatoes or beans) to compress the fruit and bread. Leave overnight.
- To serve, remove the weights and plastic wrap. Run a thin spatula around the sides, between the bread and bowl/ramekin, then turn upside down onto a plate and give it a good hard shake to ease the pudding out in one piece.