Rick Stein’s Cornwall episode 22: Rick boards the ferry in Penzance to take him to the Isles of Scilly, a group of islands which were once part of Cornwall. Here, he finds out about the islands’ rich history, including one of the Royal Navy’s worst shipping disasters in which 1,500 men lost their lives.
In the world-famous gardens of Tresco, Rick meets a beekeeper attempting to breed a native Scillonian honeybee to deal with the harsh Atlantic climate. This inspires Rick to cook a honey pudding with Cornish ice cream and a butterscotch sauce.
In this new series Rick Stein reveals the Cornwall that he knows and loves: a unique part of the British isles with a strong sense of identity and a history rooted in its Celtic past. With his famous natural inquisitiveness, Rick shares the road less travelled – championing the food, history, music, art and culture of the county many locals argue should be a country in its own right.
Rick Stein’s Cornwall episode 22
Steamed sponge pudding with honey butterscotch sauce
This irresistibly light and buttery steamed sponge pudding is easy to make, as is the rich honey butterscotch sauce to serve alongside it.
Method:
- Generously grease a 1 litre/1¾ pint pudding basin with butter. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the honey, then beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour with the last egg. Fold in the remaining flour. Cover the basin with a piece of greased foil, pleated in the centre, and tie in place with string.
- Place in a steamer basket over a pan of boiling water, cover with the lid, and steam for 2 hours, topping up the pan with boiling water if needed.
- To make the butterscotch sauce, place the butter, sugar and honey in a pan over a low heat, stirring until all the ingredients have melted and combined. Stir in the cream and keep warm.
- To serve, remove the foil from the pudding basin and carefully run a knife around the edge of the basin to loosen the pudding. Cover with an inverted plate and turn out. Cut into wedges and serve with the honey butterscotch sauce, Cornish ice cream and more honey if you like.
