Spotted Dick

Method

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1. Butter a 1.2 litre pudding basin and dust it with the tablespoon of sugar.

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2. Mix the flour, suet, sugar, currants, lemon zest, salt and mixed spice.

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3. Stir in the milk to a soft mixture that drops reluctantly from a spoon. Add a splash more if it is stiff.

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4. Spoon into the basin and level the top — it should come no more than three quarters up.

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5. Cover with a pleated sheet of baking paper and foil and tie under the rim with string.

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6. Lower into a pan of boiling water reaching halfway up the basin, cover the pan and steam 2 hours at a rolling boil.

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7. Top up with boiling water from a kettle as needed, never cold.

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8. Rest 5 minutes, uncover and turn out onto a warm plate.

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Chef’s Tips

• A rolling boil for the whole two hours, topped up with boiling water only.
• Pleat the cover. A flat one stops it rising.
• A soft mixture. Stiff suet steams heavy.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• No self-raising flour to hand? Use the same weight of plain flour plus 2 teaspoons of baking powder per 150 g.

Pairing Suggestions

• Hot custard
• Golden syrup
• A second helping

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerated for 3 days. Re-steam 30 minutes rather than microwaving.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.