Spotted Dick or Spotty Dog – English Pudding Recipe
Many food stuffs are synonymous with iconic English Dishes. We in England may have strange names for our quality food but at least we don’t eat Pets like the french who eat Horses, Frogs and Pet Birds. I thought as Spotted Dick is an Iconic English Recipe and pudding I thought I would tell its history.
Spotted Dick is a steamed suet pudding containing dried fruit (usually currents) commonly served with custard. Spotted refers to the dried fruit (which resemble spots) and dick may be a contraction or corruption of the word pudding (from the last syllable) or possibly a corruption of the word dough or dog, as “spotted dog” is another name for the same dish with the use of plums rather than currants. Another explanation offered for the latter half of the name is that it comes from the German word for “thick”, in reference to the thickened suet mixture.
Food historians generally agree the first puddings made by ancient cooks produced foods similar to sausages. We English claim pudding as part of their culinary heritage. Medieval puddings black and white were still mostly meat-based. 17th century English puddings were either savory (meat-based) or sweet (flour, nuts & sugar) and were typically boiled in special pudding bags. The “The Pease Porridge“ most of us know from the old nursery rhyme was most likely a simple boiled pudding of pease meal. By the latter half 18th century traditional English puddings no longer included meat. 19th century puddings were still boiled but the finished product was more like cake. These puddings are still traditionally served at Christmas time. Plum Pudding (aka Christmas pudding) is a prime example. Modern steamed puddings descend from this tradition.
Ingredients
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5 oz (75g) Self raising Flour
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5 oz (75g) Chopped Suet
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3 oz (50g) Fresh White Breadcrumbs
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4 oz (75g) Raisins
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4 oz (75g) Currents
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3 oz (50g) Brown Sugar
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Pinch of Salt
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1/2 teaspoon Mixed Spices
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1/2 pint (300ml) Milk
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Pkt. Of Birds Custard
Method
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Put all the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix them together well. Now add the Milk and mix to a fairly soft dough.
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Put the mixture into a greased 2 pint (1.2 litre) pudding basin and cover with kitchen foil, making a pleat across the centre to allow the pudding to rise. Tie the foil firmly in place with string, forming a handle across the top so that you can lift the pudding easily.
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Bring a large pan of water to the boil and place an inverted saucer in the bottom. Lower in the pudding basin and let it boil, covered, for 2 hours, filling the pan with more boiling water as the level falls.
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Remove from the pan by the string handle, unwrap, turn out on to a heated dish.
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Open pkt of Birds Custard and follow instructions on pkt.
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Serves 4.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary the earliest documented reference is a recipe for “Plum Bolster or Spotted Dick”, in Alexis Soyer’s The Modern Housewife, or, Ménagère (1850).
My family tree has been traced back to the early Kings of England from the 7th Century AD. I am also a direct descendent of Sir Christopher Wren which has given me an interest in English History which is great fun to research.
I have recently decided to write articles on my favourite subjects: English Sports, English History, English Icons, English Discoveries and English Inventions. At present I have written over 100 articles which I call “An Englishman’s Favourite Bits Of England” in various Volumes. Please visit my Blogs page http://Bloggs.Resourcez.Com where I have listed all my articles to date.
Copyright © 2010 Paul Hussey. All Rights Reserved.
About the Author
Please visit my Funny Animal Art Prints Collection @ http://www.fabprints.com
My other website is called Directory of British Icons: http://fabprints.webs.com
The Chinese call Britain ‘The Island of Hero’s’ which I think sums up what we British are all about. We British are inquisitive and competitive and are always looking over the horizon to the next adventure and discovery.
Copyright © 2010 Paul Hussey. All Rights Reserved.
Theme of Coming Century 2009 Live Tour (English subs)
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