Hot citrus pudding

The television series that accompanied the publication of Delia Smith’s Winter Cookbook in the 90s made a big splash and inspired a number of family meals that have stood the test of time (Colcannon potatoes and Mushroom risotto being two examples). This excellent hot pudding quickly became a favourite for Sunday lunch. Full of fresh citrus flavours, it’s light and fluffy and emerges from the oven in a pool of its own curd-like sauce. All you need on the side is some chilled cream.

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Serves 6

Ingredients

75g softened unsalted butter
175 caster sugar
3 large eggs, separated
75g self-raising flour
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange, 1 lemon and 2 limes
200ml milk

You will also need a deep baking dish of 1.75 litre capacity, well buttered. I use the square pyrex dish.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/160 fan.

First, get the citrus zest and juice ready and keep together in a small bowl. Separate your eggs. Whisk the butter and sugar together until pale in colour – it won’t go light and fluffy because there is more sugar than butter, but don’t worry about that. Beat the egg yolks and whisk them into the mixture a little at a time. Next, sift the flour and lightly fold it into the mixture, alternating it with the combined citrus juices, zest and lastly the milk.

Now in a clean bowl and using a washed and dried spanking-clean whisk, whisk the egg whites to the soft-peak stage and lightly fold those into the mixture. Don’t worry if it looks a little curdled at this stage – it’s supposed to. Pour the mixture in the the prepared dish and bake for 50 minutes, by which time the top should be a nice golden brown.