So here we are again, sotto Natale, or “under Christmas”, as they sat in these parts. Now, Lucy knows that most, if not all, of you are busily stuffing those stockings with tasteful blue ‘Forchette Veneziane’ (still time to order, for those with the slows), and she just wants to make clear, to forestall disappointment, that Christmas Pudding is not a typical Venetian dish. The excellent ‘Dolce della Sissi’ on p.107 to her mind, and possibly waist, is every bit as fine a way to follow a fat turkey-and-all-the-trimmings, as the traditional British gut-buster.
However, for those that must, here is Lucy’s very own infallible Christmas Pud recipe you can all snip from your screens and lay into your personal treasured copies of ‘Forchette’. You will need:
- A bicycle
- A nearby branch of Waitrose (posh Sainsburys, Marks & Sparks)
- A capacious hold-all
- Preparation time: 1 year
Method: In early January buy two or more ‘reduced to clear’ Christmas puddings, preferably with ‘rich’ or ‘luxury’ in the description. Take home in bag, on bicycle. At least once a month, dress with two or three tablespoonfuls of leftover brandy and/or rum (occasionally whisky of sherry can be substituted. You can also skewer a few holes in the pud to facilitate alc-access) Replace lid, or cover with silver paper. On Christmas morning, follow boiling instructions on confection. Scrummy.
Note: heat brandy in metal ladle until it begins to fizz at the edges before tilting into flame and pouring raging conflagration over your star turn.
