We’ve all heard the Christmas carol lyric…
….wait, wait, wait. What the heck is ‘figgy pudding’ and do we really need to get pushy about it? Traditional figgy pudding, was a steamed soft bread containing figs, nuts and spices, and held together with suet, a type of fat taken from the area around an animal’s kidneys. Sometimes rum or other liquors would be added, yep, I would need that. The mixture would then be hung in a porous bag, similar to cheesecloth, and steamed for several hours. After steaming, it might continue to hang for several days or weeks to intensify in flavor, and serve with holly. The classic dish had 13 ingredients which some say represented Christ and the 12 Apostles, and serving the sprig of holly on top represented the crown of thorns.
Others call it the ‘poor peoples food’. You might remember it as the flaming center of the meal Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”, and many described it as a cross between a fruitcake and haggis, set on fire. And, if you know what haggis is…you’re going to need plenty of alcohol to tolerate it
