Valentine Warner
2 for 1 at Pizza Express

Serves 4-6
- 400g raspberries
- 800g strawberries, hulled, and halved if large
- 600g blackcurrants or redcurrants, stringed
-300g caster sugar
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 150ml white wine
- 300ml water
- 12 slices of thick-cut white bread
- Fresh Jersey double cream, to serve
Put half of the fruit in a large saucepan with the sugar, lemon juice, wine and water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, lift out the fruit into a sieve. Strain any liquid back into the saucepan, and put the strained fruit in a bowl on one side. Return the pan to the heat and boil the liquid for 20-25 minutes until syrupy.
Strain and reserve 200ml of the fruit syrup. Tip the cooked fruit back into the saucepan. Allow it to cool. Stir in the remaining raw fruit (I like a mixture of cooked and not-cooked for better flavour and texture).
Line a 1.8-litre pudding basin with 2 large sheets of overlapping clingfilm (its edges should hang over the top of the basin so that they can enclose the pudding). Cut the crusts off the bread and cut each slice into 2 large rectangles. Using a pastry brush, thoroughly paint 1 side of each rectangle with the reserved syrup. Cut and paint a circle that fits the bottom of the basin.
Put this in the basin with the red side facing the clingfilm. Arrange the bread all the way around the inside of the basin, overlapping slightly where the joins meet, with the painted side always facing the clingfilm. Spoon the fruit into the basin and top neatly with the remaining painted slices of bread, cutting to fit as necessary. Cover with the overhanging pieces of clingfilm and place a side plate holding a heavy weight on top to press it down. Put in the fridge and leave overnight.
When ready to serve, remove the weight and side plate, open the clingfilm and invert the pudding onto a serving plate. Remove the clingfilm. Should there be any syrup left, using a pastry brush, daub any pale patches with it. Serve the pudding with cream.
Extracted and adapted from What to Eat Now — More Please! by Valentine Warner, published tomorrow (Mitchell Beazley £20). Buy it for £16 (inc p&p) through The Sunday Times Booksfirst on 0845 271 2135 or at timesonline.co.uk/booksfirst.
The new series of What to Eat Now starts tomorrow on BBC2 at 8.30pm
Industry sectors news at a glance. Interactive heatmap, video and podcast
Everything the Business Traveller needs to know to make a better trip
Get ready for the winter sports season, with our resort guides and snow reports
We are backing British business, what is the confidence of the nation and what businesses are succeeding?
Growing demand for energy, oil that is harder to reach and the rise of carbon dioxide emissions. We examine the energy challenge
With rail travel in Europe on the rise, we review the benefits of travelling by train
In this special section we explore new food trends to help improve your dinner party and impress guests
Enjoy further reading from Travel to Fashion, Business to Sport, discover more
Shortcuts to help you find sections and articles
1998
£47,955
12 months for the price of 11 and a 5% discount.
Offer ends 31/11/09
Check your free Experian credit report before applying
Car Insurance
£100,000
Barnardos
UK
PwC’s Consulting practice helps businesses of all shapes and sizes work smarter and grow faster
PwC
£37,000
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
London
Currently £36,285
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
London
Moments from Battersea Park.
For sale with Winkworth
Find out about shared ownership.
See your free Experian credit report beforehand
Includes flights, accommodation with room upgrades, transfers city tours in Hong Kong and Bangkok.
PremierHolidays.co.uk
For your ultimate tailor-made ski holiday, click here
Get covered on your travels with a superb range of policies at great prices. Visit InsureandGo.com
World Class Golf, Spa and preferential Beach Club. Private estate overlooking West Coast
Villas from £275 per night inclusive of Golf
Contact our advertising team for advertising and sponsorship in Times Online, The Times and The Sunday Times, or place your advertisement.
Times Online Services: Dating | Jobs | Property Search | Used Cars | Holidays | Births, Marriages, Deaths | Subscriptions | E-paper
News International associated websites: Globrix Property Search | Milkround
Copyright 2009 Times Newspapers Ltd.
This service is provided on Times Newspapers' standard Terms and Conditions. Please read our Privacy Policy.To inquire about a licence to reproduce material from Times Online, The Times or The Sunday Times, click here.This website is published by a member of the News International Group. News International Limited, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY, is the holding company for the News International group and is registered in England No 81701. VAT number GB 243 8054 69.