SENSATIONAL SUMMER PUD

IT IS important to make this pudding a day in advance, to allow time for the shape to set. You will need a 1 litre (1¾pt) pudding basin. 1kg (2lb 4oz) mixed soft fruit, such as redcurrants, blackcurrants, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries 150ml (¼pt) water 170g (6oz) caster sugar, or to taste 10 medium-thick slices of white bread, ideally 1-2 days old Put the fruit, except the strawberries, in a medium saucepan with the water and sugar and cook gently over a low heat for about five minutes until the fruit is softening but still has a vibrant colour. Add the strawberries and continue to cook for two minutes until the strawberries are just softening Taste and adjust the necessary. Transfer fruit to a colander set over and bowl at aside until most of the juice has drained into the bowl. Press the fruit a little to extract more juice, but avoid crushing it to a pulp. Cut the crusts off all but two slices of the bread, and cut in half slightly on the diagonal, but not in triangles. Cut two discs from the remaining two slices of bread, one to fit in the bottom of the basin and a larger one to cover the top of the basin once filled with fruit. (This top layer will not be seen so you can fill any gaps with bread off-cuts.) Dip the smaller disc of bread in the juice and place in the bottom of the pudding basin (see ‘A note on unmoulding’ at end of recipe). Dip the diagonal pieces of bread in the juice and use them to line the basin, overlapping each piece of bread a little and pressing them together to ensure a seal. While the fruit is still just warm, spoon it into the bread-lined basin, ensuring it is well packed in to give the pudding a good shape. Dip the larger bread disc in the juice and use to cover the fruit. Stand the basin on a lipped tray, then press a saucer or plate on top of the pudding and put a heavy weight, about 500g (1lb), on top. Leave in a cool place overnight to allow the pudding to set in shape. Pour any remaining fruit juice into a saucepan and boil to reduce to a syrupy consistency. Taste and add more sugar if necessary, then leave to cool. When ready to serve, remove the weight and the saucer. Invert a serving dish over the bowl and turn both over together. Give the pudding basin a sharp shake, which should release the pudding, and carefully remove the pudding basin. Spoon the reduced juice over the pudding. Serve with double cream lightly whipped with a little caster sugar to sweeten.

A note on using frozen fruit: * You can use frozen fruit, but reduce the water quantity to 50ml (2fl oz), as it will release more water as it is heated.

A note on unmoulding: * To ensure an easy release, you can line the pudding basin with several layers of cling film before lining it with the bread. After inverting the pudding, carefully peel away the cling film.