Paul Ainsworth's bread and butter pudding recipe is given spice by a Grand Marnier-fuelled chocolate sorbet served on the side – the perfect British dessert to end an autumnal meal.
Place the mixture in an ice cream maker and freeze
4
Whilst the sorbet is freezing, start the bread and butter pudding by buttering the bread, then slicing it into triangles
12 slices of white bread, with crust removed
125g of butter
5
Butter an oven proof dish and sprinkle in a layer of sultanas
30g of sultanas
butter for greasing
6
Arrange 1 layer of bread triangles in the dish then sprinkle again with sultanas. Repeat this process 2 more times or until you reach the rim of the oven dish
7
To make the custard, bring the cream, milk and vanilla to a boil. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and 175g of sugar
Pour the cream mix over the yolks and sugar, whisking it in. Pour this mix into a bain-marie and cook until thick
9
Allow to cool slightly and pour the mixture over the bread and sultanas. Leave this to soak for at least 4 hours, topping it up with more custard if needed
10
Heat the oven to 115°C/Gas mark ¼. Put the pudding dish into a roasting tin and pour some warm water around the sides
11
Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until the edges are browned and the centre still has a slight wobble
12
Allow to cool down a little then sprinkle with castor sugar and caramelize with a blow torch until golden all over
13
Slice the pudding, and position in the centre of a bowl with a generous amount of custard. Serve with a separate bowl of the chocolate sorbet
Southampton-born Paul Ainsworth got his break courtesy of Gary Rhodes, whom he worked for three years. After that, he moved to Gordon Ramsay's organisation, working first at his flagship Royal Hospital Road restaurant and then with Marcus Wareing at Petrus.
