Sago plum pudding with egg custard

Name: Sago plum pudding with egg custard
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6-8
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 100g sago (look for this near other baking ingredients in most supermarkets); 2 cups milk; 300g dried vine fruit (currants, raisins, sultanas); 100g pitted prunes, chopped; 1/2 cup sugar; 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 3 tsp ground ginger; 3 tsp ground cinnamon; 2 cups soft breadcrumbs or 1 cup dried breadcrumbs; 2 tbsp cocoa; 2 eggs; 45g butter, melted; additional soft butter for basin

Stephanie Alexander

October 19, 2011

Time:1-2 hoursServes:6-8

Even those who blanch at the thought of sago may be convinced after eating this. There is no evidence of "frogs' eggs", as happened with the hated lemon sago. The sago vanishes completely in the long steaming and the generous quantities of fruit meld together to create an altogether luscious texture. Do be sure that if you are buying breadcrumbs in the supermarket you do not pick up a packet that is flavoured with cheese or garlic!

Ingredients

100g sago (look for this near other baking ingredients in most supermarkets)
2 cups milk
300g dried vine fruit (currants, raisins, sultanas)
100g pitted prunes, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 tsp ground ginger
3 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups soft breadcrumbs or 1 cup dried breadcrumbs
2 tbsp cocoa
2 eggs
45g butter, melted
additional soft butter for basin

For the custard

1 cup milk
1 cup cream
1 vanilla bean, split
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup castor sugar

Method

Soak sago in milk overnight. Next day butter a 1.5 litre pudding basin. Put fruit and dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Tip in sago and milk. Lightly whisk eggs with the melted butter and stir into the fruit mix.
Fill basin just over two-thirds full. Cover with a doubled sheet of foil and tie with string under the rim of the basin. Stand basin on a wire rack or an enamel plate inside a stockpot and add boiling water to come two-thirds up sides of the basin. Cover the stockpot and boil for 3 hours, topping up the water level as necessary. The finished pudding will be dark and glossy. Serve hot with custard.
For the custard
Bring milk, cream and vanilla bean to simmering point in a heavy-based saucepan.
In a bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar until light, then whisk in warm milk and cream. Return to rinsed-out pan and cook over a moderate heat for at least 10 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Strain into a cold bowl, then scrape in some of the vanilla seeds from the vanilla pod.
Serve with plum pudding.
Tip: Rinse and dry the vanilla pod - it can be reused.