Spotted Dick Rides Again

This was once a very famous pudding, but it's now sadly forgotten – except by a certain supermarket that has a problem with its name! Just the thing to serve for Sunday lunch after a freezing cold, wintry walk. The ultimate comfort pudding.

Method

First of all, mix the filling ingredients together in a bowl. After that, make the suet pastry: sift the flour into a bowl, add the breadcrumbs, suet and a pinch of salt, and mix to combine. Mix the milk with 2 fl oz (55 ml) water and add a little to the dry ingredients, sprinkling it here and there. Now, using a flat-bladed knife, begin to mix, adding a little more liquid until the mixture looks as if it is coming together. Finish off using your hands, adding drops of liquid until you end up with a smooth, elastic dough that feels moist.

Next, transfer the dough to a flat, lightly floured surface and roll it out to a rectangle roughly measuring 8 x 12 inches (20 x 30 cm). Then spread the filling evenly over it and roll it up gently and carefully from the narrow end. Now wrap the pudding in the kitchen foil, twisting it at each end to form a seal.

After that, fit a steamer over a saucepan filled with boiling water from a kettle and as soon as it comes back to the boil, pop the pudding in, put a lid on and steam for 2 hours, keeping the water at a steady simmer, and making sure it is topped up if it needs it. Serve the pudding in warmed bowls, cut in thick slices, with Traditional English Custard – an absolutely essential accompaniment.