Gloucestershire food with Rob Rees November 2010

This November Rob Rees unapologetically revels in the classic Christmas pudding, sharing a recipe in The Cotswold Chef's family for generations with SoGlos.com readers.

It might be seen as a bit Marmite, in a love it or hate it way, but for me nothing is nicer in November than whipping up a classic Christmas pudding. It is one of the nation’s most iconic culinary dishes, and you shouldn’t waste your money on shoddy shop-bought versions or those pre-made mixes that line the supermarket shelves.

The Christmas pud actually started life in the 17th century as a way of preserving meat in a pastry case. But I’m delighted that time has moved on, and we now combine lovely aromatic spice with fruits and a generous glug of booze in more modern interpretations.

Making your own Christmas pudding is the simplest thing in the world to do and is always guaranteed to impress your friends and family. So the pudding I want you to have a go at is one that has been in The Cotswold Chef family for many generations.

Since I was a small boy I can recall many a November Sunday morning mixing and steaming the traditional dessert with my Nan who really embraced this recipe, and made it her own with a secret ingredient that shall only be passed on to my little boy Jack when the time is right. My Nan and parents were the inspiration for my career and it all started nearly 38 years ago in my Nan’s kitchen licking the Christmas Pudding bowl and having the best fun in the world.

This recipe is made distinctly Gloucestershire by using some of the county’s best suppliers, and you will make five puddings following this recipe – meaning there will be plenty of pudding pressies to share.

Christmas pudding ingredients

250g Shipton Mill self-raising flour
500g Hobbs House breadcrumbs
500g vegetarian suet
500g dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon allspice
375g currants
750g raisins
150g mixed peel
50g ground almonds
The grated rind of 2 lemons
1 quarter teaspoon grated nutmeg
8 Cotswold Legbar eggs
2 tablespoons black treacle
The juice of 2 oranges
1 grated Abbey Farm carrot
1 grated Hayles Fruit Farm cooking apple
3 bottles of Freeminer Speculation ale or a couple of pints of Cotswold Way beer

Christmas pudding directions

1. Simply mix all the ingredients together in large bowl before allowing to soak overnight.

2. Divide into five well-greased buttered dishes, or two-pint pudding basins, and cover with a circle of baking parchment, wrap foil over the top of each basin and tie securely with string.

3. Put the dishes in a large steamer of boiling water and cover with a lid. Boil for 10 hours, topping the boiling water up when necessary.

If you do not have a steamer, you can use a large pan. Place the pudding bowls on top of inverted saucers and pour boiling water up to a third of the way up the sides of the pudding bowls, before covering the pan and steaming.

4. Allow the puddings to cool and store in a larder or fridge.

5. On Christmas Day, place in a double steamer and simmer for a further five hours before serving with brandy butter or dollops of cream. The key to a dark, moist and rich pudding is in the steaming – the longer you can do it the better it becomes. Enjoy.

SoGlos.com readers, see you again in December for more festive grub and a recipe or two from across Gloucestershire.

Rob Rees
20 November 2010