What happened to the Rishi Sunak I knew at school?
And joy of joys, it’s so simple to make. For this version, I choose bold flavours: saffron and cardamom, sweetened with dark muscovado sugar. It is the easiest and most pleasing pudding I have made in an age.
Saffron, cardamom and muscovado blancmange
Serves six
1. Pour the cream and milk into a pan. Add the saffron and cardamom, bring very slowly to just under the boil. As soon as bubbles rise, whip the pan off the heat, cover with a tea towel and leave for 30 minutes.
2. Add the gelatine and sugar to your infused milk and cream. Heat slowly, stirring continuously, until the gelatine has almost all dissolved. Don’t let the mixture boil, and don’t worry about any lumps.
3. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a clean container. Gently bang the container two or three times to release any trapped air bubbles.
4. Decant the mixture gently into your mould(s). Place in the fridge covered with kitchen roll or a clean cloth and chill for at least four hours.
5. Run the outside of the mould under a warm tap for 10–15 seconds, but don’t dribble water on the blancmange. Remove any coverings or lids, place a plate over the base of the mould and, in one confident movement, invert. If necessary, give the mould a bit of a jiggle; the blancmange should slip out.
6. Serve with soft seasonal fruit, cooked long enough to be sticky and slightly caramelised. Peaches, cherries and apricots are coming into season: I would roast them in honey, with a splash of pudding wine, a dab of butter, and just a touch of vanilla or cinnamon.
EQUIPMENT
SIEVE MEDIUM-SIZED PAN JELLY MOULD 1 large (800ml) jelly mould or six individual (130ml) moulds
INGREDIENTS
600ml MILK 200ml DOUBLE CREAM HALF-TSP SAFFRON QUARTER-TSP GROUND CARDAMOM 20g GRLATINE (OR 8 LEAVES) 70g DARK BROWN MUSCOVADO SUGAR If you can’t get hold of ground cardamom, use 8 lightly crushed green cardamom pods
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in