Spotted Dick with Boozy Custard Sauce (English)

A British sponge pudding studded with whiskey-soaked currants and raisins. Served with a whiskey-infused custard sauce.

Spotted Dick:
mixed currants and golden raisins (300 g)
⅔ cup whiskey (150 mL)
self-rising flour (300 g )
1 big pinch sea salt
⅓ cup unsalted butter, frozen (75 g)
vegetable shortening, cut into small bits (75 g)
⅔ cups granulated sugar (75 g)
1 lemon, finely zested
¾ cup milk (180 mL)

Boozy Custard Sauce:
6 large egg yolks
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 small pinch fine sea salt
1½ cups whole milk
2 Tbsp. whiskey
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

For the Spotted Dick:
Combine the currants and yellow raisins with the whiskey in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover the bowl and microwave for 3 minutes (you can also do this in a small pan on the stove, no need to cover). Let sit until cool (most of the liquid will be absorbed).

Put a pot of water on to boil. Place a large pot on the stove and set a large raised metal ring (I use a 4" cookie cutter) on the bottom of the pot.

Grease a 1.5 L pudding tin with shortening. Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the pudding tin and grease one side with shortening.

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Shred the frozen butter into the bowl, then add the bits of shortening. Use a fork to stir until the fat is just coated with the flour; it will look like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the sugar finely grated lemon zest over the top and stir until just combined.

Strain the currants and raisins over a small bowl, without pressing down - you want them to stay plump with whiskey (sip the remaining fruit infused whiskey or use as the whiskey for the boozy custard, it's delicious).

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Shred the frozen butter into the bowl, then add the bits of shortening. Use a fork to stir until the fat is just coated with the flour; it will look like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the sugar finely grated lemon zest over the top and stir until just combined.

Strain the currants and raisins over a small bowl, without pressing down - you want them to stay plump with whiskey (sip the remaining fruit infused whiskey or use as the whiskey for the boozy custard, it's delicious).

Add them to the bowl and stir until evently distributed. Stir in the milk until no dry spots remain. Scrape into the prepared pudding tin, gently smooth the top, then set the parchment paper over it, greased side down. Put the lid on the pudding tin.

Set the tin onto the metal ring that is set in the bottom of the pot; the pot should be set over high heat. Carefully pour the boiling water into the pot so that it comes halfway up the side of the pudding tin. Put the lid on the pot (or fashion one from foil), then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Allow to cook for 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes, topping up with boiling water as necessary to keep the pot from drying out. The sponge should be firm, but slightly tacky towards the center.

Carefully lift the pudding tin out of the pot. Remove the lid and the parchment paper, then let it sit in the pan for a few minutes.

Making the Boozy Custard Sauce:
Place the egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a bowl and whisk until pale yellow, 2-3 minutes.

Put the milk in a medium saucepan and bring just to a boil.

Very slowly, drizzle about half of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, to temper. Then whisk that back into the saucepan set over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the custard has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon (nape), about 4 minutes. Stir in a splash of vanilla and the whiskey (you could also use the fruit-infused whiskey that you reserved earlier. Transfer to small serving pitcher.

To Serve:
Place a large plate face down on top of the pudding pan and carefully turn out the spotted dick. Serve with a good pour of boozy custard sauce over each serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Cook's Notes:

• To make your own self-rising flour, measure 4 cups of all-purpose flour into a large mixing bowl. Add 2 Tbsp. of baking powder and 1 tsp. of fine grain salt, then whisk to combine. Use immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 year (yield 4 cups)
• Traditionally, you would use suet as the fat in spotted dick. I couldn't get my hands on any locally, and was too impatient to wait for an online order to arrive, so I used half butter and half vegetable shortening instead. To use suet, simply substitute shredded suet for the butter and shortening (150 g total).
• What to do if your custard curdles: Never fear! Sometimes, even when you've been very careful, your custard will curdle (get little bits of scrambled egg in it). If this happens, just use an immersion blender to puree the strained custard until thick and smooth; you could also do this in the jar of a regular blender.