Chocolate and fig steamed pudding with chocolate sauce

Cardamom is brilliant with chocolate and figs, and with orange (also in this pudding). This recipe for chocolate sauce is a keeper, and can be used for other puddings and for ice cream too.

SERVES 10 INGREDIENTS

175g dried figs, stalks snipped off 90ml port, marsala or madeira 175g butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing

35g cocoa powder, plus more for dusting

150g plain flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp baking-powder Crushed seeds from 10 cardamom pods

190g soft dark-brown sugar 3 medium eggs, lightly beaten 75ml full-fat milk

50g ground walnuts

Finely grated zest of ½ orange 75g dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids), chopped into small pieces For the chocolate sauce

100g good-quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces 100g milk chocolate, broken into pieces

175ml double cream

4 tbsp golden syrup

3 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD

Cut the figs in half and put them into a saucepan with the alcohol. Bring quickly to a boil, then simmer very gently for about a minute. Pull the pan off the heat and leave the figs sitting in the alcohol for about half an hour.

Butter a 1.5 litre pudding basin and dust the inside with cocoa powder. Sift the 35g cocoa powder together with the flour, bicarbonate of soda and bakingpowder. Add the crushed cardamom.

Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then gradually add the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in the sifted ingredients, alternating with the milk, followed by the walnuts, orange zest, chopped dark chocolate and figs (with any alcohol that hasn’t been absorbed). Scrape the batter into the prepared basin.

Place a piece of greaseproof paper on top of a sheet of foil (both large enough to cover the top of the basin). Fold a pleat along the middle of them, then place paper-sidedown on top of the pudding, with the pleat across the centre. Tie firmly in place with string, using the string to make a handle to lift the pudding.

Trim the excess paper and foil to prevent it dipping into the water. Put the pudding into a large pan with a lid and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the basin. Bring the water to a simmer, cover the pan and steam the pudding for two hours, making sure that the pan doesn’t boil dry.

Put everything for the sauce into a heavybottomed pan and heat gently, stirring until the chocolate has melted and the sauce is warm. Leave it to cool a little.

To turn the pudding out, run a knife between it and the basin. Set a serving plate on top of the pudding, invert, give it a bit of a shake and it should slide out. Pour some of the warm chocolate sauce over the top and offer the rest in a jug, with some crème fraîche on the side.