Week 10 How to Eat - Nigella Lawson

Couldn't get through #cookbookchallenge without another appearance from the blushing rhizomes that the Ewing has been forcing under a big plastic barrel on the allotment. The pale pink stems have been turning up in a compote on her yogurt and granola every morning but I also persuaded her to make Pig's Bum, the gloriously monikered steamed pudding that features in Nigella's seminal first tome, How to Eat.

How to Eat came out the year before I went to uni (just over two decades ago now...) and I remember reading my discounted and dog-eared copy while tucked up in bed (in the freezing downstairs bedroom, where I got chilblains and had to scrape the ice from the inside of the windows.) All character building stuff. Although I can't remember cooking much from it I remember being very taken by the idea a M&S steak and kidney pudding with a blob mustard and some steamed greens which turned up in her healthy eating chapter.

The pudding itself is based on a old school dinner favourite, named for the fact it resembles a porcine behind. Nigella's instruction sees some stewed rhubarb being mixed into the pudding batter. I adore a proper steamed pud, and, more excitingly, it also gave me the opportunity to use my new Mason and Cash Hacienda pudding basin. Got to get my kicks somehow....

While I feel it is almost sacrilege to say so, I wasn't sure there was going to be enough of the good stuff in the original recipe, so we also poached some batons for the top and reduced some of the syrupy juices down to soak into the sponge.

Pig's Bum - adapted from Nigella's How to Cook

125g self raising flour 

125g butter 

125g sugar 

300g rhubarb

2 eggs

4 scant tbsp milk 

1.5 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

Approx. 2 tbs sugar for simmering rhubarb, or to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 200c

Butter a pudding basin very well and boil a large pot of water large enough to comfortably accommodate the basin. I use a vegetable steamer.

Chop two thirds of the rhubarb into small chunks and the rest into longer batons (to be placed on top of the cooked pudding). Sprinkle with sugar and roast until tender (15 minutes covered in foil, then remove foil and then cook for another 5 minutes) .

Mash the coins of rhubarb and let it cool. Remove the batons of rhubarb and set aside. Pour the juices into a saucepan and reduce on the hob until thick and syrupy

Put all the other ingredients, minus milk into a food processor, or use a whisk, and mix until very smoothly combined.

Add the rhubarb puree and pulse or whisk quickly till combined with the batter. Do not overmix. Add the milk and pulse or whisk only till incorporated. Turn the batter into the basin. Cover securely with kitchen foil.

Put basin into boiling pot. The boiling water should come about half way up the basin..

Steam for approx 2 hours, topping up with boiling water if the water level drops too low. When a skewer comes out clean from the centre of the pudding, it's done.

Remove from pot and cool a little before turning out.

Top with the batons of rhubarb and pour over the syrup.

serving with lashings of custard.