Pud a spin on it: Try these pudding recipes stirred up by city chefs

As bakers in the UK ready for the Platinum Pudding Competition to honour Queen Elizabeth II, we asked a few city chefs to stir up their own interpretations of the timeless dessert

It's a celebration comprising two firsts — with Queen Elizabeth II becoming the first British monarch to be commemorated with a Platinum Jubilee (her 70th year on the throne), residents from across the country are being invited to recreate the pudding, a classic English dessert. These creations must be genuine and accurate, with the ability to make people smile.

Interestingly, the origin of the English pudding goes back to 1305 and was used to describe a ‘meat-filled animal stomach’ — a far cry from the milky custard-like comfort food that most people recognise it as.  

“In the past, puddings were made using suet and flour, which later evolved to recipes that use sugar, milk, eggs and starch to create creamy and sweet desserts,” shares Subhash Shirke, executive chef at The Pantry.

Chocolate and espresso budino

Ingredients 
. Milk 80 ml  
. High fat cream 60 ml  
. Sugar 18gm  
. Salt 1 gm 
. Dark couverture chocolate 46 gm 
. Cocoa 15 gm 
. Corn flour 8 gm 
. Espresso 30 ml 

Method 
For budino custard: Heat the milk and add all dry ingredients, except the chocolate. Cook the mixture until the corn flour is cooked. Remove from heat. Add the espresso and the chocolate. To serve: Allow the budino mixture to chill and set. Top with cocoa nibs, cereal or granola and serve.

Aabhas Mehrotra, executive chef, Sorrentina

Chocolate pot de crème with walnut crumble

For pot de crème 

Ingredients 
. Dark chocolate, 54 per cent or 70 per cent  220 gm  
. Fresh cream 480 gm 
. Castor or granulated sugar 85 gm 

Method 
Preheat the oven to 140 degrees. Melt the chocolate in a microwave oven or over a double boiler and keep aside. Measure the cream and sugar in a saucepan. Bring this to a boil, stirring continuously. Pour this over the chocolate and stir gently till completely incorporated. Strain into a pudding bowl or mason jars till 3/4th full. Bake at 140 degrees for 12-15 minutes. The pot de crème should be wobbly in the centre. 

For walnut crumble 

Ingredients 
. Whole wheat flour 20 gm 
. Almond flour 20 gm  
. Rolled oats 40 gm 
. Brown sugar 40 gm 
. Butter, cold, cubed 40 gm 
. Walnuts 20 gm 

Method 
Rub the whole wheat flour and almond flour with the oats, sugar and butter in a bowl using your fingers. Transfer to a baking tray and bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden and crisp. Add the chopped walnuts and mix. Pour over the set and cooled pot de crème. Top with quartered fresh strawberries and serve.  

Chef Sanah Ahuja, founder of House of Amel

Vegan pudding

Ingredients  
. Cooked black rice 80 gm 
. Jaggery powder 20 gm 
. Coconut cream 40 gm 
. Coconut powder 15 gm 
. Fresh strawberries 100 gm 

Method 
In a bowl, soak the raw black rice for an hour in lukewarm water. Cook the soaked rice in a saucepan in double the water and strain just as the rice gets cooked. Cook the coconut milk, coconut powder, jaggery powder and cooked rice in a saucepan for 10 minutes. Refrigerate until cool. In a serving glass, layer the cooked rice with fresh strawberries and garnish with fresh strawberries, Serve the vegan pudding cold or slightly warm. 

Chef Subhash Shirke

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