Steaming Times For Christmas Puddings | Ask Nigella.com (2024)

FAQs

Steaming Times For Christmas Puddings | Ask Nigella.com? ›

Our answer

A 1.5 (0.9 litre) pudding will take a shorter tine to cook but unfortunately not half the time of the larger 3 pint (1.5 litre) size. We suggest that you steam the pudding for 4 hours initially then 2 hours before serving, giving a total of 6 hours steaming time.

A Christmas pudding is quite a dense mixture and needs long gentle cooking to prevent the outside burning before the inside is cooked. The same theory holds for reheating a pudding as it will take some time for the pudding to heat right through to the centre.

Follow your recipe for the steaming times of your pudding, but if you do need to check then you can insert a skewer through the foil and parchment to check that it comes out clean. Simply patch up the hole with more foil if your pudding needs more time to steam.

Grab a large lidded saucepan and place an upturned saucer or plate in the bottom (if you have a suitable trivet then use that). Fill the saucepan with enough water to reach halfway up the pudding basin and heat to boiling.

Ideally we would suggest that when the pudding is made it is steamed for 8 hours (the combined time of the first and second steamings) as the steaming is important for the flavour of the pudding. The pudding can then be microwaved to reheat it on Christmas Day.

Can you over-steam a Christmas pudding? While the pudding won't dry out if it's steamed for too long, some of the ingredients inside may be spoiled by being overcooked.

According to experts, the secret to Christmas pudding perfection is to heat it to precisely 71 °C. If it gets hotter than 89 °C, the sugars within the fruits in the pudding start to caramelise. So no matter how luxurious its ingredients are, your precious pud will taste bitter.

If the pudding has a very big dip in the centre then it could be that it was not cooked quite thoroughly enough and this could happen if the water was not kept at a brisk simmer or if the pan was allowed to boil dry at any point.

Brush the parchment with melted butter to stop it sticking. Fold a pleat in the centre of the foil and parchment to give the pudding room to expand as it cooks. Tie the foil onto the basin with string; wrap it twice to keep it tight. Use the remaining string to create a handle over the top of the pudding.

How to store Christmas pudding after steaming? ›

Cooking and storing

After you have steamed and cooled your pudding, replace the foil with a freshly buttered piece to keep it moist and store in a cool, dark place, or the fridge, until you are ready to reheat it on Christmas day.

Nigella suggests using a plastic pudding basin with a clip-on lid as these are easy to use and not too expensive. If you have difficulties finding a pudding basin then a Pyrex bowl, or similar heatproof glass bowl, could be used. However the shape is different so you will have a wider, squatter pudding.

Place the pudding into the steamer set over a saucepan of simmering water, or use a large saucepan with a saucer in the bottom. Steam for several hours, or as recipe indicates. Top up water when necessary. When the pudding is steamed, cut the string around the bowl.

The pudding should be stirred from east to west, in honour of the Magi (Wise Men) who came from the east to visit the baby Jesus. It's also a good excuse to enjoy a wee dram or a cup of festive mulled wine! On Christmas Day the pudding has its own ritual.

As for all puddings, it should be stored in a cool, dry place until Christmas Day. For the US our preference would be to use Pyrex mixing bowls for steaming Christmas puddings.

Line the base of the basin with the small round of baking paper before adding the filling, then cover the surface of the pudding with the large round to prevent direct contact with the aluminium foil. 3. Measure a double thickness of foil to cover the pudding bowl and extend half way down the sides.

Yes, you can microwave your Christmas pudding with the right recipe! Save time and effort - learn how to microwave instead of steaming or boiling your pudding. In partnership with and featuring recipes from Fairy.

Make sure the base of the pudding bowl is not in direct contact with the base of the pan. -Add enough water to reach halfway up the sides of the pudding bowl. -Cover the pan tightly with the lid. Steam the pudding according to the recipe instructions.

This may not be a familiar concept for some, but believe me this is the most fantastic way to eat your black pudding is to pace in a pan of boiling water and simmer for ten minutes until piping hot and the eat the lot, skin and all very nice with English mustard or piccalilli.