From the Kitchen: Queen of Puddings

A highlight of the weekly menu the Kitchen team plan for the residents is the pudding at lunchtime.  Queen of Puddings is a regular favourite, and although it sounds very grand it is a simple comfort pudding made primarily from bread (although our Kitchen team prefer to use brioche), milk and eggs.  The idea is you can use up whatever bread, or bread-like ingredient you have to hand. It is a traditional English pudding, or desert, with origins thought to date back to the late 17th Century when there were a variety of puddings using bread soaked in milk. It also harks back to the medieval period with its custard base.

The history of puddings and deserts is complex and fascinating. The word pudding itself dates to medieval times when it was exclusively a savoury dish similar to a type of sausage, while small egg tarts or pastry cases filled with a custard known variably as Darioles, Daryols or Dariola which might have been sweetened with honey or sugar were also popular. Spices such as Cinnamon or saffron might be added if the household could afford them. The word ‘custard’ also dates to medieval times and derives from French and Italian words meaning crust referencing the pasty case. We still have both sweet and savoury puddings today, the latter generally understood to be more rustic and often steamed or made from a batter or a milk base, compared with the lighter or more complex dessert.

Sugar is of course a key ingredient for a pudding or dessert, and also has a complex history. It was probably first brought to England from the Middle East and India during the era of the Crusades and was initially seen more as a spice or medicine than an everyday ingredient. It remained an expensive luxury in Tudor times but was more readily available as a result of the Dutch and Portuguese colonies in South America which used enslaved African labour for its production. This was later replicated by the British in the West Indies which resulted in sugar being more readily available from the mid-1600s onwards.   Given the wealthy and aristocratic owners of the Charterhouse such as Edward North and the Duke of Norfolk who hosted elite guests including Queen Elizabeth I and James I, it is likely that some of the most fantastic puddings of the time would have been served here at spectacular banquets. They might have included custards, fitters, jellies, fruit pies and tarts made from apples, quince, cherries, pears and wild strawberries. Citrus fruits were also an extremely expensive luxury and status symbol as they had to be imported.

Queen of Puddings might not technically be a pudding, but in combining custard, bread and jam it echoes the evolution of puddings and deserts with the addition of an 18th century meringue topping which originated in France.

 Ingredients

Serves four people as individual portions in small ramekins (7oz capacity) dishes.

 For the base:

4 small Brioche buns or 160g of bread or cake if using (best if not fresh)

¾ pint of milk

2oz sugar

6 eggs

Zest of 1 lemon (unwaxed)

Vanilla essence (4 drops or 1/4 tsp)

1 tbsp Plum jam or syrup (or other fruit jam or syrup of choice)

Butter for greasing the ramekins

For the meringue:

3oz sugar (+ half a teaspoon of sugar for topping)

Whites of 3 of the eggs

Powdered red colouring (optional)

  • Heat the oven to 165° C (329 F) and grease four small ramekin dishes with butter and place in a bain-marie (oven-proof container containing around 1cm water).
  • Add the brioche (or alternative) to a blender and blitz to resemble breadcrumbs, then add to a large bowl and put aside.
  • Separate the yolks and whites of 3 eggs into separate bowls, put aside the whites for the meringue then add a further 3 whole eggs to the 3 yolks and whisk together.
  • Gradually whisk in the milk, vanilla essence, sugar and lemon zest.
  • Pour the milk and egg mixture over the crumbs, mix together and set aside for 10 – 15 minutes to set slightly then transfer the mixture to the ramekin dishes.
  • Bake for 10 minutes so the brioche custard is firm but with a slight wobble in the centre, then take out of the bain-maire and oven and leave to cool.
  • Add a thin layer of fruit syrup or jam to the brioche base, you may wish to add some lemon juice to the jam to give it a smoother consistency.
  • Whisk the egg whites together until they are white and fluffy, then gradually whisk in the sugar until the mixture is thick and shiny and forms firm peaks, take care not over-whip.*
  • Cover the custard and syrup or jam with the meninge taking care to completely seal the pudding with the meringue; you can pipe it, add with a fork pulling into peaks or swirls or use a spatula knife to create a flat topping.
  • Combine half a teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of powdered colouring (if using) and sprinkle onto the meringue topping, or just add a sprinkle of sugar.
  • Return to the bain-marie in the oven on a lower shelf for a final 15 minutes until the meringue is slightly browned and crisp on top.
  • Take out of the oven and leave to cool for up to 30 minutes before serving either by itself or with Crème Anglaise or Vanilla cream.

*Chefs tip: You may wish to carefully scald a bowl with boiling water and dry before whisking the meringue to ensure there is no grease and avoid touching the interior with your hands. You could also add ½ tsp white wine vinegar and ½ tsp cornflour to the egg whites before whisking to create a more luxurious meninge

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