Pies, Puddings and Pottages

Grease the pudding basin with lard and place a disc of baking paper in the bottom of the basin. This is to ensure the top of your pudding won’t stick when you turn it out.

Place the 2 tablespoons of flour in a plastic bag and add the salt and pepper.

Place the steak in the bag and shake until each piece is lightly coated with the flour. Transfer to the shallow bowl and set aside.

Place the self-raising flour and suet in the large mixing bowl and stir evenly.

Add enough water to make a soft dough.

Turn the pastry out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for a couple of minutes until smooth.

Take two thirds of the pastry and roll out to a large disc, 5mm thick, that will line the basin.

Make a slit down one side and line the basin, overlapping where the slit is. Trim the excess pastry and use your fingers to smooth the join. Make sure you don’t press the pastry too hard when lining the basin as if the pastry becomes too thin you risk the sauce escaping through it. Bring the pastry up to 1cm over the top of the basin.

Fill the lined basin with a layer of steak followed by a layer of kidney and then a layer of shallots. Keep layering until the basin up to 1cm from the top.

Place the stock, port and soy sauce in the small jug and stir together.

Pour this over the meat in the basin to nearly the top of the meat. Use a knife to open up the meat in the middle to allow the liquid to spread through the meat.

Roll out the remaining third of the pastry to 5mm thick. Lightly wet the top edges of the pastry lining and place the rolled out pastry lid over the top, sealing the edges securely with your fingers.

Make a pleat in a piece of kitchen foil and cover the basin with it, ensuring that the pleat is placed at the centre of the basin. Secure the foil with string tied under the rim of the basin, making sure you create a ‘handle’ with which you can remove the pudding from the hot water.

Place the pudding in the large-lidded saucepan and fill with boiling water two thirds up the sides of the pudding basin. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to a simmer.

Cover the saucepan and steam for 3 hours making sure you check the level of the water and top up from the kettle if necessary.

Allow to cool slightly before taking the pudding out of the hot water.

Place the pudding (open side down) on a serving dish and remove the pudding basin or mould.

Serve immediately.