Christmas In July

I'm cooking a Sago Plum Pudding for a Christmas in July feast with friends tomorrow.

Recipe from the Country Women’s Association of NSW Cookery Book:

55g sago

250ml milk

80g caster sugar

210g sultanas

1 large cup of fresh bread crumbs. Sliced white or wholemeal bread. (Sough dough bread makes a much heavier pudding and I prefer white sliced.)

1 tbsp melted butter

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 whole egg beaten

Brandy (optional)

Grated lemon rind 1 lemon (optional)

Soak 2 tbsp of sago in a bowl that is microwave safe. Add 250ml milk to the sago, stir and microwave for a minute on high. Stir again, then leave overnight in the fridge.

Perhaps when this recipe began the sago and milk sat on top of the Aga stove in a warm spot to soften. (I find when soaked in cold milk the end product is full of small white hard seeds, so it is better to cook it and warm the milk) When the pudding is cooked the sago should be translucent.

Soak 1 breakfast cup of sultanas in some brandy over night. (Optional)

Generously butter a one-litre pudding basin.

In a large mixing bowl add the sago and milk, sugar, sultanas, bread crumbs, butter, bi carbonate soda, beaten egg and grated lemon rind. Mix all together with your hands.

Place mixture into a greased pudding basin and cover tightly with tin foil. Secure with a tight string. Place the pudding on a wire rack at the bottom of the saucepan and boil for three hours with the lid on the saucepan. The water should be two thirds up the side of the pudding basin.

Serve with cream or ice cream.