From Yew Seafood and Bar’s executive pastry chef, Suraj Karmakar, comes this simplified version of the traditional dessert (featured on Yew’s Christmas Eve and Day dinner menus) served at the Four Seasons Hotel, which uses apricots, prunes, and raisins soaked in dark rum.
Serves eight.
Ingredients
1 brioche bread loaf (baked fresh at Yew)
Custard
1 ¼ cup milk
1 ¼ cup cream
1 vanilla pod
3 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
3 egg yolks
Topping
½ cup thinly-sliced apricots
½ cup thinly-sliced prunes
½ cup raisins soaked in dark rum
Instructions
Custard
Scrape the vanilla bean and add to the cream.
Boil the cream (with vanilla) and milk together.
Meanwhile take the whole eggs, egg yolk, and sugar in a bowl and mix well.
Once the cream is almost boiling around 175°F (80°C), remove from heat.
Slowly add the cream mixture to the eggs mixture by continuously whisking until fully incorporated, and your pudding mixture is ready.
Finishing
Cut the brioche bread into cubes.
Soak it well with the custard mix, then transfer to desired oven-safe serving bowl.
Arrange the rum raisins, apricots, and prunes on top of the mixture.
Bake over water bath at 300°F for 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove water bath and continue baking for another 6 minutes at 400°F to give a charred look on the top.
Insert a knife in the centre of the pudding, and if the knife comes out clean, the pudding is ready.
Dust with sugar.
Cool slightly until bowl is no longer hot, and serve pudding warm with your favourite ice cream.
