Alternative Bowl To Steam Christmas Pudding

Our answer

Nigella's Ultimate Christmas Pudding (from NIGELLA CHRISTMAS) makes one large pudding or a combination of a medium-sized and a small pudding. The large pudding fills a 1.7 litre/3 pint/1 1/2-quart pudding basin. 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. Pyrex make bowls with capacities of 0.5 litres, 2 litres and 3 litres and the 2 litre size bowl would be the most appropriate size. Both the plastic basin and Pyrex bowls are available in major cookware stores and on-line. Pyrex bowls are also available in some large supermarkets and department stores.

Before you start, make sure that the bowl will fit into your steamer. As the bowl does not have a lid, we suggest putting a piece of baking parchment (parchment paper) on top of the pudding batter once it is in the bowl. Then wrap the bowl very tightly in a double layer of clingfilm (plastic wrap) and a double layer of foil. Make sure you overwrap the bowl, going right over the top and underneath the bottom, and give the bowl a quarter turn each time you wrap so that there are no gaps in the wrapping where steam could enter. The steaming times are the same as for a pudding basin. When the pudding has cooled after the first steaming, remove the wrapping and baking parchment replace with fresh baking parchment, clingfilm and foil. Store the pudding in a cool, dry place until Christmas Day. Brandy butter is a traditional accompaniment to the pudding so you may also like to try Nigella's deluxe Salted Caramel Brandy Butter.