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Recipes from my Lincolnshire kitchen

Pimm's strawberry and mint summer pudding

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… last week at the office was utterly horrendous, just one of those weeks where every day was just so long and painful and on Tuesday I was thinking how great it was that it was Friday the next day only to wake up on Wednesday with that awful Sunday feeling of dread, like I hadn’t done my homework…  I absolutely love my job and I do honestly think i’m very lucky to be working in an industry that for the most is pretty great but sometimes, like all jobs, it’s just not so good.  It’s not even as though I could pinpoint one singular thing that made it bad, it was simply a series of progressive badness that didn’t want to go away.  There was a moment on Wednesday when I actually thought I was in that Michael Douglas film Falling Down but there was no director yelling cut at the end of a very bade take… luckily alcohol helps…

Pimm’s strawberry and mint summer pudding
of course it’s not quite summer yet but it’s been a stunning weekend of warmth up here at Belleau Cottage and there are some glorious British strawberries in the shops right now so there’s really no excuse… plus of course i’m helping the good folk at Pimm’s celebrate the launch of their latest Limited Edition Pimm’s Strawberry with a Hint of Mint.  They asked me to develop a recipe that encompasses the British Summer and I couldn’t think anything more wonderful than a summer pudding… for me, the great British strawberry is the iconic emblem of the Summer. Biting into a sweet juicy strawberry is the promise of lazy days in the sun and warm evenings watching dragonflies skim over ponds, the thwack of cricket ball against bat and picnics in the park.

Pimm’s have captured the essence of summer in a bottle with their new Limited Edition and I think my twist on the classic British chilled Summer Pudding is the perfect accompaniment. So pour yourself a glass, sit back and chill out whilst you enjoy a glorious bowl of pudding with lashings of thick cream…

this recipe is for a 1 litre pudding basin
a few slices of thick cut white bread
200g fresh strawberries
200g mixed summer berries such as blackberries and raspberries
75ml Pimm’s Strawberry with a Hint of Mint
2 or 3 tablespoons golden caster sugar – depending on taste
2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
fresh mint leaves
use a little butter to grease your pudding basin then take the slices of bread and patchwork them into the basin. I usually cut a circle for the base and then triangles for the sides, fitting in pieces where there are patches. Don’t worry about being too neat, I like the patchwork look… but make sure you leave enough bread for a lid… i’ve slipped a few fresh mint leaves under each slice too
in a pan add the fruit, Pimm’s, sugar and vinegar and gently heat. You want it to heat through for a few minutes so the sugar dissolves but so that the fruit doesn’t lose its texture
pour the fruit into the pudding, leaving a little juice and fruit back and place the lid bread on top. Spoon a little more of the liquid onto the top ensuring in runds down the side and all the bread is covered, and then place a small plate on top of the pudding – small enough so that it touches the pudding, then place something heavy, like a couple of tins on top and pop it in the fridge for at least 24 hours
once you’re ready to serve, place your serving plate on top of the pudding and holding the basin against the plate, flip the pudding upside down and tap it on top. Sometimes the pudding drops out easily but on occasion the butter used to line the dish solidifies and you may have to wait a while for it to melt and release the pudding
drizzle the pudding with the remaining juices and serve with lashings of cream
eat and of course enjoy

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Comments

  1. Karen S Booth says

    As an avid Pimm's lover and slurper Dom – this is my dream summer dessert and I LOVE the idea of a boozy summer pudding! Really love this……don't work TOO hard this week, I'm over in 2 weeks so we much have a Tequila night! xxxxx

  4. Kate Glutenfreealchemist says

    Ooohhhh Yum! So summery. And such a wonderful colour!
    I am a little concerned that Pimms have brought out yet another seasonal special! I got a little hooked on last year's blackberry & elderflower version and fear I could end up an alcoholic if this temptation continues!!!

  6. Magnolia Verandah says

    How this makes me yearn for summer….and winter has only just begun! Must get myself a bottle of Pimms I do so love it too. My strawberries were useless this year – eaten by a gang of possums or birds before I could get to them. I bought frozen berries but did not get to use them as they were recalled by the Hep A food scare here. Oh well it seems summer pudding is postponed until next year. I can only salivate over your lovely pics!