How to Cook Vegetarian Pudding

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 30 mins

Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients needed to make Vegetarian Pudding:

For the suet pastry:

• 7 oz self-raising flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 3 ½ oz vegetable suet
• 4 fl oz water
• Pinch of salt

For the filling:

• 1 lb 2 oz assorted mushrooms (Portobello, girolle, chestnut and chanterelle), cleaned and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 4 large shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 5 fl oz Irish stout
• 2 tbsp mushrooms ketchup
• 7 fl oz vegetable broth
• 2-3 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked and chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Cooking instructions for Vegetarian Pudding:

• To make the suet pastry, place the flour in a large mixing bowl and stir in the chopped parsley, suet and a dash of salt until well mixed.
• Pour in water in a thin, steady stream, while stirring it into the mixture until all of it used up and the ingredients gather together to form soft dough.
• Place the dough on a lightly-floured working counter and knead gently for a couple of minutes.
• Wrap it up in a plastic sheet and leave in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes to chill.
• To make the filling, drizzle oil in a skillet and heat it over moderate flame.
• Throw in the garlic as well as the shallots and stir fry them for about 10 minutes or until they soften.
• Sprinkle the chopped herb and add pour the mushroom ketchup into it.
• Add a splash of Irish stout and stir them all together to mix well.
• Cook for a couple of minutes and pour in the vegetable broth, followed by the mushrooms.
• Give it a nice stir until well combined and bring it to a simmer.
• Continue to cook likewise for about 10 minutes or until it thickens slightly.
• Adjust the seasonings and turn off the heat; allow it to cool down slightly.
• Remove the pastry dough from the fridge and split it into 4 equal portions.
• Set a quarter of the firs into a flat portion aside and roll each of it onto a floured surface, into  flat disc with the diameter similar to the base of the pudding basin.
• Spread it across the basin and fill it up with ¼ of the filling mixture.
• Roll the reserved dough into another plate circle and paint its edges with small amount of water.
• Place it on top of the filling and press the edges together to seal.
• Get rid of the excess dough hanging out from the sides and place sheet of aluminum foil on top to cover loosely.
• Make the other three pastries in a similar manner and arrange them in a steamer.
• Steam them for about 40-45 minutes or until they are cooked through.
• Take them out of the pan, with gloved hands and set aside until cool enough to handle.
• Remove the foil and invert them onto serving plates.
• Serve right away.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons