SC - Spotted Dick/Spotted Dog

[Lee-Gwen Booth]

I have searched through my various cookbooks for a recipe for Spotted Dick
with surprisingly little success.  I did, however, find the following recipe
for Spotted Dog which, may be the same dish with a less-easy-to-abuse name
(my memory suggests that Spotted Dick is not a rolled pudding as this one is
and that it has only sultanas in it, but I could be wrong); but even if it
is not, it seems to me to fit the "funny food name" category.

While this recipe is cooked in a pressure cooker, simply steaming as for any
other pudding of its type will work as well.

Spotted Dog (cooked in the pressure cooker)

3/4 cup white self-raising flour
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups fresh white breadcrumbs
90g (3 oz) shredded beef suet
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1/3 cup sultanas
2 tablespoons currants
3 tablespoons chopped mixed peel
4 cups boiling water
little lemon juice

Steaming - 10 minutes
L Pressure - 29 minutes OR
H Pressure - 20 minutes

Method:
Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.  Add the breadcrumbs, suet, and
sugar.  Mix with sufficient milk until a smooth, elastic dough is formed
that leaves the side of the bowl cleanly.  Turn out onto a floured board and
knead lightly.  Roll out into an oblong a little narrower than the base of
the cooker and approximately 1 cm/1/2 inch thick.  Spread the fruits and
peel over the surface, damp the edges with milk and roll up, Swiss-roll
style, sealing the edges well.  Place, seam-side down, on to a well-greased
double thickness of greased greaseproof paper or a large piece of greased
aluminium foil.  Wrap loosely, making a pleat in the centre to allow for
expansion and seal the ends.  Have the water and lemon juice boiling in the
cooker and add the trivet, rim side down.  Place the pudding on the trivet.
Close the cooker and steam gently, without the weights, for 10 minutes.
Raise the heat, bring to L or H pressure and cook for 29 or 20 minutes
accordingly.  Reduce the pressure slowly.  Turn out onto a serving dish and
serve with custard sauce or slice and serve with butter and brown sugar.

Gwynydd