food memories.
PORTRAIT: TREVOR LEIGHTON. FOOD PHOTOGRAPH: TOBY SCOTT. FOOD STYLING: JEN BEDLOE. STYLING: VICTORIA ELDRIDGE *delicious. TESTED THIS RECIPE AND MEASURED THE WATER POURED OVER THE MEAT AS 100ML
No retrospective from me would be complete without steak and kidney pudding because I am emotionally attached to it. Firstly because of its sheer Englishness. In London’s east end, where there is a tradition of good eating, good butchers and good meat, cockney slang affectionately referred to it as Kate and Sidney. Across the social divide up west, within the dining rooms of exclusive gentlemen’s clubs, the pudding would be regally served on a silver platter with a starched linen napkin wrapped around it. A knife would then be inserted and slices of the soft pudding crust were served with the luscious steaming contents spooned over. One thing’s for sure – there are not many contemporary eating experiences quite like it; the whole ritual of making and eating it is both unique and immensely pleasurable. It might be imagined that it’s difficult to make. Not so. I would say it takes about 40 minutes to prepare and assemble, then it steams away for five hours needing little more than a top up of boiling water. Some people (my husband) like extra gravy, which can be made with the meat trimmings.