Cooking with Max Rocha: Summer Pudding Terrine

Max Rocha is a London-based chef who has worked at some of London’s finest restaurants, from St John Bread and Wine to The River Café. Over the coming weeks, he will share a series of seasonal recipes to enjoy while restaurants remain shut.

Summer pudding is like the best jam sandwich you’ll ever eat. This dessert embraces all the fruit that arrives at the beginning of summer. You can use whatever mix of summer fruit you like – I’ve used an equal mix of raspberries, blackberries, redcurrants and blueberries. (If you don’t have access to fresh fruit, substitute in frozen summer fruits, they work really well.)

I like to make my summer puddings in a terrine mould so it’s easy to slice and serve. I recently made it for my parents’ 30th wedding anniversary. My mum suggested serving with pouring cream which was a brilliant idea – nice quality double cream is the perfect addition. This recipe serves six. 

Summer Pudding Terrine

One kilogram mixed summer fruits
One loaf of unsliced white bread (it works best if it’s a day or two old)
210 grams caster sugar
One shot of Ribena cordial
200 millilitres of pouring cream 

1. Remove stalks of fruit and wash gently under cold water.
2. Line a one pound loaf tin with cling film. I do four layers to be safe and let it hang over the sides so you can wrap up the pudding.
3. Place fruit in a heavy-bottom pan with a splash of water and the sugar. Cook for four to five minutes until they begin to just burst (if you are using raspberries, add them at the very end).
4. When the pan is off the heat, add one shot of Ribena cordial. 
5. Cut the crusts off your old white loaf, then slice into thin slices – one centimetre or less if you can, the thinner they are the more colour your pudding will have. 
6. Place the bread slices along the bottom and sides of the lined tin to make a single bread wall and floor. 
7. Spoon in some of the liquid to allow it to soak up. 
8. Then spoon on the fruit mixture half way, followed by a layer of bread then another layer of fruit until the tin is nearly full.
9. Place bread on top of the fruit mixture to create a lid.
10. Cover the top of the pudding with cling film and place in the fridge for at least 24 hours with a weight on top – I used a can of Guinness.
11. Keep your extra fruit and juice in a pan in the fridge also.
12. To serve, carefully unwrap the cling film layer under the weight and turn out pudding onto a serving plate. When the tin is on the plate, remove the rest of the cling film and pour over some of the extra juice you kept. Serve sliced with double cream.