Basil and buttermilk pudding with poached figs

This dessert recipe from Mark Dodson combines figs poached in a lightly spiced syrup with a simple shortbread and raspberry coulis – but the star of the dish is a basil-flavoured buttermilk pudding. Similar to a panna cotta, the basil brings fresh sweetness which works beautifully with the vanilla and tart buttermilk. Take a look at Mark's other Provençal recipes here.

First published in 2019

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

  • 200ml of double cream
  • 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped
  • 100g of caster sugar
  • 10g of basil leaves
  • 5g of gelatine leaves
  • 250ml of buttermilk
  • edible flowers, to garnish

Figs

Shortbread

  • 125g of butter, cold and diced
  • 180g of plain flour
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 65g of caster sugar

Raspberry coulis

Method

1
Soak the gelatine in cold water until soft. Bring the cream, basil, vanilla pod and seeds and sugar to a simmer in a pan over a medium heat. Lower the heat and cook for 3 minutes
  • 5g of gelatine leaves
  • 200ml of double cream
  • 10g of basil leaves
  • 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped
  • 100g of caster sugar
2
Squeeze the gelatine to remove the excess water and whisk into the cream mixture until dissolved. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug with the buttermilk and stir. Decant into moulds or glasses and place in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours
  • 250ml of buttermilk
3
For the figs, use a pin to prick the figs all over and neaten up the stalks with a knife. Bring the water, sugar, cardamom and star anise to a rapid boil in a pan, then add the figs. Bring back to the boil then remove from the heat. Cover the pan with cling film and set aside to cool
4
For the biscuits, preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Combine the butter, flour, lemon zest and sugar in a mixing bowl until a dough forms, then roll out until 1cm thick. Use a circular cutter to create 4 biscuits, then transfer these to a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown, then set aside to cool
  • 125g of butter, cold and diced
  • 180g of plain flour
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 65g of caster sugar
5
For the coulis, place the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice in a pan and bring to the boil, stirring regularly. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blitz until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve into a squeeze bottle and set aside to cool
6
When ready to serve, bring the figs back to the boil, then remove them from the syrup (allow the syrup to continue cooking until thickened). De-mould the puddings by dipping them in hot water for a few seconds, then loosen the edges and upturn them onto plates. Halve the figs and brush them with a little of the syrup, then arrange them around the pudding. Place the biscuits on the side and place dots of the raspberry coulis around. Drizzle with a little more syrup and garnish with edible flowers

Mark Dodson speaks the language of comfort food with Shakespearean fluency, turning perfectly formed elements into down-to-earth (but heavenly) compositions.

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