Figgy Pudding

Name: Figgy Pudding
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 210 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: England
Ingredients: 250 g dried figs, stems removed and finely chopped; 100 g pitted Medjool dates, finely chopped; 80 g dark raisins or sultanas; 100 ml aged dark rum (or brandy); 100 ml dark ale or stout; 120 g plain flour; 120 g fresh white breadcrumbs (from a day-old white loaf, not packet dried crumbs); 120 g vegetable suet or grated cold butter; 100 g soft dark brown sugar; 2 tbsp black treacle; 3 large eggs, lightly beaten; 1 tsp ground mixed spice (or a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice); 0.5 tsp ground ginger; 1 large orange, finely grated zest only; 0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda; Softened butter, to grease the pudding basin; Brandy butter, crème anglaise, or clotted cream, to serve

Traditional English steamed figgy pudding with treacle, dark ale, and aged rum

Origin: England

From the journey of Fig.

The figgy pudding belongs to the long English tradition of dense, sweet, dark, long-keeping boiled or steamed puddings made for the great festivals of the Christian year: Christmas, Twelfth Night, and Plough Monday. The tradition descends from the medieval 'frumenty' (a spiced wheat porridge enriched with dried fruit) and the early-modern 'plum porridge' (a thickened broth of meat and fruit that gradually became sweeter and more confectionery-like as it moved from the main course to the dessert in the 17th and 18th centuries). The figgy pudding is distinct from the Christmas pudding (plum pudding) in its emphasis on dried figs rather than dried plums (prunes) and sultanas, though the two puddings belong to the same family and the same tradition. The 16th-century carol 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas' preserves the pudding's cultural moment with unusual specificity: 'Now bring us some figgy pudding / and bring it out here / We won't go until we've got some, / So bring some out here.' The carol's stubborn insistence on the figgy pudding as the prerequisite for departure has kept the dish in the English national memory long after it became uncommon on actual Christmas tables. This recipe makes a version that is deeply flavoured with treacle, dark ale, and aged rum: the three storecupboard liquids of the British kitchen that most naturally complement the dark, honey-sweet intensity of dried figs.

Ingredients

Fruit

250 g dried figs, stems removed and finely chopped
100 g pitted Medjool dates, finely chopped
80 g dark raisins or sultanas

Liquid

100 ml aged dark rum (or brandy)
100 ml dark ale or stout

Dry ingredients

120 g plain flour
120 g fresh white breadcrumbs (from a day-old white loaf, not packet dried crumbs)

Fat

120 g vegetable suet or grated cold butter

Sweetener

100 g soft dark brown sugar
2 tbsp black treacle

Binding

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Spice

1 tsp ground mixed spice (or a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice)
0.5 tsp ground ginger

Flavouring

1 large orange, finely grated zest only

Raising agent

0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Equipment

Softened butter, to grease the pudding basin

To serve

Brandy butter, crème anglaise, or clotted cream, to serve

Method

The day before: Combine the chopped dried figs, dates, and raisins in a large bowl. Pour over the rum and the dark ale. Stir well, cover, and leave to soak overnight at room temperature.
On the day: Grease a 1.2-litre pudding basin generously with softened butter. Cut a double circle of baking parchment slightly larger than the top of the basin and grease the inner surface.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, breadcrumbs, suet or butter, dark brown sugar, mixed spice, ginger, and orange zest. Mix well with a wooden spoon.
Add the soaked fruit and all its soaking liquid to the dry ingredients. Add the treacle, beaten eggs, and bicarbonate of soda. Stir thoroughly until everything is evenly combined. The batter will be very dark, dense, and slightly sticky.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared pudding basin. Smooth the top and cover with the greased parchment, greased-side down. Fold a pleat in the centre to allow for expansion. Secure with kitchen string tied under the rim of the basin.
Place the basin in a large, deep saucepan. Pour in enough boiling water to come two-thirds up the sides of the basin. Cover the pan tightly and steam over a low-medium heat for 3 hours, checking the water level every 45 minutes and topping up with boiling water as needed.
Remove from the water, allow to cool, and store in a cool, dark place. The pudding can be made up to 8 weeks in advance; it improves with time. To reheat on the day, steam for a further 90 minutes.
To serve, run a knife around the edge of the pudding, invert onto a serving plate, and serve with brandy butter, crème anglaise, or clotted cream.

Notes

The figgy pudding can be fed with rum or brandy during storage (pour a tablespoon over the top of the covered pudding every two weeks) to deepen its flavour and extend its keeping time. For the traditional flaming presentation, warm a small quantity of brandy in a ladle, ignite it carefully, and pour the flaming brandy over the unmoulded pudding at the table. Work in a dark room for maximum visual effect. The pudding keeps for up to three months stored in a cool, dark place; it freezes well for up to six months.

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Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control