Sunday, October 19, 2008

Traditional English Victorian Bread and Butter Pudding.

(Serving suggestion.)...actually you might like to arrange yours in a more apealing way...it looks worse than it is...but only marginaly!

Serves 4 (5 at a stretch) . Preparation time...24 hours approx.

Ingredients:
6 slices well buttered Bread
50g/2oz Sultanas
4 Eggs
25g/1oz Sugar
600ml/20fl.oz. Milk
A little extra Sugar

Instructions:

1.First, find two good friends whom you have known for quite a few years.Arrange for them to move house and then prepare for a house warming party invitation.

2. When invitation arrives..purchase bottle of suitably posh sounding wine (£5 or less!!) and dress for the occasion.

3.Since wife is in Oxford acting..attend party alone with grumpy daughter who perks up when she sees her best friends from school are also at the party.

4.Settle yourself into the party..open the wine (from an array of 12 other bottles!!) then chat congenially with people you've never seen before. Then make contact with the hosts who are lovely people.Next, find 'yummy mummy' who you recognise from the playground who is also there without their partner...chat ..drink...chat some more..laugh..drink..drink more...eat chocolate gateux...laugh..discuss favourite bands/movies/alcohol...more drink..

5. Wife arrives at party from Oxford.


6.Stop chatting with 'yummy Mummy' Drink laugh chat with wife, then Wife needs to go home because she has to drive to Oxford again the following morning at 6:30am.

7.Deal with screaming daughter who doesn't want to leave the party and hasn't eaten anything yet...

8.Eventually get home after walk with screaming daughter. realise that you still fancy more alcohol...find remainder of Bourbon bottle and imbibe the contents....


9.Allow to stew for 45 minutes..then try to have rational conversation with wife...due to the large blood alcohol content..I might have said a few things that were not heard in the spirit they were given...


10. Allow ears to stop ringing after basting from wife.


11.Go to kitchen to prepare a sandwich...Wife enters kitchen..I say wrong things again...end up getting angry and pummeling loaf of white bread with fist...this loaf suddenly become the focus of years of frustration and angst...it derserves all it gets!


12.Dust crumbs off knuckles and place bag of 'bread' back in the fridge. Sit on Settee with earphones on listening to the new album by Keane ....wake up at 4am and go to bed.


13. Get up at 10:40am after wife has left four hours earlier.


14. Begin to prepare evening meal at around 5pm


15. Preheat the oven to 170C, 325F, Gas mark 3. Grease a 7.5cm/3 inch deep ovenproof dish.

16.Take totally misshapen loaf from the fridge and empty contents onto work surface.Reserve 4 quarters (you may need to find an undamaged piece from another loaf!)for the top and arrange the rest in layers in the dish, sprinkling the sultanas between each layer. Top with the reserved quarters.

17. In a saucepan, heat the milk to hot but not boiling. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs and sugar then add the hot milk, stirring well.

18. Slowly pour over the bread and fruit, being careful not to dislodge the top layer of bread. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.

19. Sprinkle with a little sugar and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the top is browned and crispy.


20. Place servings in bowls with generous helping of hot instant custard.Serve to family...or what's left of them , one still being in Oxford..one out to church with his friend..one who is sulking in his bedroom and anyway he doesn't like sultanas...one who is an eight year old daughter who hates it and won't eat it.


21. And there you have it...the perfect recipe!

8 comments:

Devil Mood said...

I don't know whether to laugh or cry...That sounds awfully complicated. Would it be alright if I skip to no.15? Or does it need all that preparation?

Niall young said...

DM..The preparation makes it taste all the better!...actually it was delicious!!

pink dogwood said...

long time lurker - first time commenter :)

Step 22. Tired wife comes home and is all happy to find the perfect pudding waiting for her - a very happy ending :)

Must try the recipe and I am in awe of your Balcony artwork.

Niall young said...

Pink Dogwood..Welcome to the dance..I'm so pleased you made your first comment..

As for step 22..Wife gone to bed..Pudding remains uneaten on work top....

Preeti Shenoy said...

Awww...
If you were in india--only 1 step..Open a 'heat n eat' meal. Everyone is happy.

Sending you a looooooooooooong mail :-)

Anonymous said...

Step 4 I have to say the chocolate gateux was extremely yummy ! ! Thanks for a great time x
Save me a slice of b+b pudding ! !

Niall young said...

PS...LOL,the 'ping' of the microwave is like the sound of the fairy godmother's wand.

Yummy mummy...(see Monday's post),you'll have to make do with a virtual serving!..maybe I'll make some for our party!

Tys on Ice said...

:)....one of my fav recipe...but now i hve to try the 1st 15 steps...the yummy mommy part is something I will have to do with out, unless i want to eat my own body parts the next day...and i dont go well with sauce..