Mushroom Pudding

Ingredients:

For the suet pastry:
350g self-raising flour
175g suet (vegetable suet)
pinch of salt
plenty of freshly-ground black pepper
enough cold water to bind the pastry (about 250ml)

For the Filling:
200g firm mushrooms (beefsteak, dryad's saddle, chicken of the woods or cauliflower fungus), blanched in boiling water and cut into 3cm cubes
400 mixed wild mushrooms, sliced (eg Chanterelles, porcini, horn of plenty, saffron milk caps, blewits (field blewit and/or wood blewit), oyster mushrooms, field mushrooms, St George's Mushroom and three dried black (wood ear) mushrooms
2 tbsp plain flour
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
generous pinch of celery salt
150ml good mushroom gravy

Method:

Add the prepared firm mushrooms and sliced wild mushrooms to a bowl along with the onion, celery salt, thyme leaves, salt and several generous twists of black pepper. Toss to combine then set aside.

Meanwhile sift the salt and flour into a large bowl then add the suet and plenty of freshly-ground black pepper. Mix to combine then add the cold water a little at a time until the mixture comes together as a soft dough. Tip the dough a lightly-floured surface and knead until elastic then cut off about 1/4 of the pastry and set aside for the lid. Roll the remaining pastry into a round about 7mm thick. Use this to line a well-buttered pudding basin (about 1.75l in volume), ensuring you leave at least 1cm of pastry over-hanging the lid of the bowl.

Add the flour to the mushroom mixture and toss to combine. Transfer the mushrooms to the pudding basin (do not pack down) and fill to the top. Add the Worcestershire sauce, then top-up with the mushroom gravy to about 2/3 the way up the bowl.

Roll the remaining pastry to form a lid. Cut this to the size of the bowl and place over the meat. Fold the overhanging pastry over the top and press the pastry securely together to seal. Cover the pudding with a doubled piece of foil that's been well buttered and pleated in the middle to allow for expansion then tie securely in place with string.

Place the pudding either in a steamer or on an upturned plate or saucer in a large saucepan. Fill with water to 3/4 of the way up the pudding and boil for 5 hours (remember to top-up the water occasionally to prevent the pudding from boiling dry!).

When ready turn the pudding onto a large warmed plate, cut a generous wedge out of the pudding and serve with mashed potatoes and broccoli or peas.