Maurice Ravel, known for his gourmet tastes, developed an unexpected enthusiasm for English cooking, particularly steak and kidney pudding.
Steak and Kidney Pudding Recipe
- butter, for greasing
- 450g (1lb) chuck beef steak, trimmed and cut into cubes
- 225g (8oz) ox or lambs kidney, well trimmed and cut into cubes
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh curly parsley
- 50ml (2fl oz) red wine
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bay leaf
Suet pastry:
- 175g (6oz) beef suet
- 350g (12oz) self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- about 225ml (8fl oz) cold water
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Step 1
Butter a pudding basin or Pyrex bowl and line the base with a disc of non-stick parchment paper. To make the suet pastry, place the suet in a bowl, sieve in the flour and turmeric, then mix gently. Season lightly and then add the water, a little at a time. Use your hands to form a soft dough.
Step 2
Roll out two-thirds of the pastry on a lightly floured work surface to a 2 cms thickness and use to line the prepared pudding basin, leaving some pastry hanging over the edge. Roll out the remaining piece of pastry and cut a circle 1 inch larger than the top of the bowl.
Step 3
Place the steak in a bowl with the kidneys. Season to taste and stir in the flour until evenly coated, then mix in the onion, garlic and parsley. Spoon into the lined pudding basin, being careful not to press it down, then pour over the claret and sprinkle the Worcestershire sauce on top. Insert a bay leaf into the middle of the pudding, then carefully pour in enough water to reach about two-thirds of the way to the top, but not covering the meat mixture completely.
Step 4
Dampen the edges of the pastry lining the bowl, place the lid over the filling and press down both edges together to seal. Trim off any excess pastry and make two small opening slits on top. Cover the pudding with a disc of non-stick parchment paper and tin foil. Secure it with string, making a handle so that you can lift it out of the steamer.
Step 5
Place the pudding on top of an upside-down plate in a large pan filled two-thirds up the side of the bowl with water. Cover and steam for 4-5 hours, adding boiling water occasionally so that the pan doesn't boil dry. Allow the cooked pudding to stand for 10 minutes, then cut the string and remove the foil and paper. Cover with a flat plate and gently remove the pudding.