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Christmas, Main Courses, Recipe, Seasonal, Vegetarian

Savoury Christmas pudding

by dylanchannon   ·  5 years ago  
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This is a savoury version of traditional fruit Christmas pudding – and you can set it alight too! The best way to do this is to heat up an extra 100ml of brandy in a saucepan with the pudding beside you, the guests ready to eat and the lights dimmed. Set alight to the brandy in the saucepan, then immediately pour it over the pudding and take to the table.

DETAILS
  • Serves: 8
  • Prep: 15 mins plus resting
  • Cook: 1 hr 25 mins
INGREDIENTS

For the pudding

  • 100g Puy lentils
  • 75g raw buckwheat
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, grated
  • 100g shiitake or chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • ½ tsp grated nutmeg
  • 500ml vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp red or brown miso paste
  • 1 tbsp tamari
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
  • 100g porridge or gluten-free oats
  • 75g cashews, roughly chopped

For the brandy glaze

  • 1 100ml brandy
  • 2 tbsp tamari
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 100ml maple syrup
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp red or brown miso paste
  • juice of ½ lemon
METHOD

  1. In a medium-sized saucepan, simmer the lentils in plenty of water for 20–25 minutes until tender but still holding their shape.

  2. At the same time, simmer the raw buckwheat in a small saucepan for 10–15 minutes until just tender, but still retaining some bite. Drain both the lentils and buckwheat once cooked and set aside in separate bowls.

  3. Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the mixture. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion on a medium heat for 10 minutes, until soft and translucent and just beginning to turn golden. Add the garlic and carrot and cook for a few more minutes.

  4. Add in the mushrooms, ground allspice and nutmeg and cook for 5–10 minutes until the mushrooms have released their juices. Pour in the vegetable stock, miso, tamari and thyme leaves. Bring to the boil and stir to make sure the miso has dissolved. Mix in the cooked lentils and oats. Keep stirring over a gentle heat until the mixture is like very thick porridge.

  5. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked buckwheat and cashew nuts, then taste and season with a little salt if necessary and plenty of black pepper.

  6. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Generously oil a large 1.5-litre pudding basin or ovenproof bowl. For ease you could line it with baking paper to ensure the pudding turns out perfectly.

  7. Spoon the pudding mixture into the basin, cover with a piece of baking paper and a piece foil scrunched around the rim to seal. Bake for 40 minutes, then remove the paper and foil and bake for another 20 minutes or until the top is brown and firm to touch. Remove from the oven and re-cover with the foil. Allow to stand for 20 minutes to firm up before turning out onto a serving plate.

  8. To serve, boil up the brandy glaze ingredients for 3–4 minutes to reduce and thicken. Pour the hot glaze over the pudding just before serving. For a dramatic effect, set light to the brandy glaze at the last minute and serve a flaming savoury Christmas pudding centrepiece, alongside all the trimmings.

Cook's tips

The pudding is actually best made at least a day in advance and chilled before reheating; this will ensure it will be firm enough to easily turn out. It can be served straight from baking, but the mixture will be softer. Reheat the pudding still in its bowl, covered with foil, at 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 for 40 minutes before serving.

 

It freezes very well. Keep the pudding in the bowl, remove it from the freezer the night before serving and place in the fridge overnight to defrost. Allow it to come to room temperature and reheat while still in its bowl, as above.

 

Cook up the glaze on the day, and pour it over hot at the last minute before serving.

 

Recipes adapted from Advent: Recipes and crafts for the countdown to Christmas by Kerstin Niehoff and Laura Fleiter (£12.99, Murdoch Books). Photography by Kerstin Niehoff.