Traditional Spotted Dick with English Custard Sauce (Print version)

A classic British steamed suet pudding studded with currants and served warm with silky vanilla English custard sauce.

# Ingredients:

For the spotted dick

01 - Butter, for greasing the pudding basin
02 - 1 1/2 cups (180 g) self-rising flour
03 - 1/2 cup (45 g) fresh white breadcrumbs
04 - 1/3 cup (65 g) granulated sugar
05 - 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
06 - 1/2 cup (60 g) shredded beef suet or vegetarian suet
07 - 3/4 cup (110 g) dried currants
08 - 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
09 - 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
10 - 2/3 cup (160 ml) whole milk, plus more if needed

For the English custard sauce

11 - 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
12 - 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
13 - 4 large egg yolks
14 - 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
15 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 - Pinch of fine salt

# Instructions:

01 - Butter a 1 quart pudding basin. Place a trivet or folded kitchen towel in the bottom of a deep pot large enough to hold the basin with the lid on.
02 - In a large bowl, stir together the flour, breadcrumbs, sugar, salt, suet, currants, lemon zest, and orange zest. Add the milk and mix until a soft dough forms. Add another tablespoon of milk if dry patches remain.
03 - Spoon the mixture into the buttered basin. Cover with a pleated sheet of parchment and a pleated sheet of foil, both buttered on the underside, then tie tightly with kitchen string.
04 - Set the basin in the pot and pour boiling water halfway up the sides. Cover the pot and steam gently for 1 hour 45 minutes, adding more boiling water as needed to keep the level steady.
05 - During the last 15 minutes of steaming, warm the milk and cream in a saucepan until steaming. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
06 - Slowly whisk the hot milk mixture into the yolks. Return everything to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard coats the back of a spoon. Do not boil.
07 - Lift the pudding basin from the pot and rest for 10 minutes. Remove the cover, invert onto a serving plate, slice thickly, and serve warm with the custard sauce.

# Good to know:

01 - Use a 1 quart pudding basin and keep the water at a steady gentle simmer.
02 - The custard is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and leaves a clean line when you run a finger through it.
03 - Leftover pudding can be steamed again or reheated in slices with extra custard.

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