Do I Have To Use A Plastic Pudding Basin For The Ultimate Christmas Pudding?

Our answer

Nigella's Ultimate Christmas Pudding (from NIGELLA CHRISTMAS) is a traditional Christmas pudding that is steamed in a pudding basin. NIgella suggests using a plastic pudding basin as this is what she uses herself and the basins have lids, which reduces the amount of wrapping needed before steaming. The plastic basins are also slightly flexible, making it easier to remove the cooked pudding.

Pudding basins also come in other materials, such as metal, ceramic and heatproof glass. Any of these can be used for the Ultimate Christmas Pudding. We would suggest that you butter the basin well (even if it is non stick) and it may help to put a circle of baking parchment (parchment paper) in the bottom of the pudding basin to help the pudding to turn out more easily. If your basin has a clip on lid then remember to grease the inside of the lid as well. Lids on pudding basins vary a lot and if yours clips on very tightly then it should be fine to clip on the lid and steam the pudding. However, if there is any risk of the lid popping off during cooking then you may want to wrap the basin and lid tightly (going over the top and under the base) with one or two layers of clingfilm, plastic wrap or food wrap, to make sure that the basin is tightly sealed.