This traditional favourite is an ideal post-Sunday lunch pud
Ingredients
- 900g plum, stoned and thickly sliced
- 140g golden caster sugar, plus extra
- tsp ground cloves
- 1 heaped tbsp cornflour
- flour, for dusting
- 500g pack shortcrust pastry
- 1 egg, beaten, to glaze
For the custard
- 4 egg yolks
- 85g caster sugar
- 250ml milk
- 250ml double cream
- seeds scraped from 1 vanilla pod
Method
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Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 and put a large baking sheet in to heat up. Put the plums, sugar and cloves in a pan. Simmer until the sugar dissolves and the plums are juicy, 8-10 mins. Mix the cornflour with a little of the juice, then mix well into the fruit. Boil for a few mins, stirring, until thickened.
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For the custard, blend the yolks and sugar. Heat the milk, cream and vanilla in a pan until almost boiling, then gently pour onto the egg mix, whisking constantly. Return to a clean pan and heat gently, stirring, until the mix thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Cool quickly, then chill. Custard can be made up to a day ahead and gently reheated.
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Roll out two-thirds of the pastry on a floured surface. Use to line a pie dish, letting the pastry hang over the edges a little. Fill with the plums. Roll out remaining pastry, about 2.5cm bigger than the dish, then drape over the plums. Pinch edges together well, then make a small hole in the top. Brush with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Can be assembled up to 1 day ahead. Place on the hot baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 mins until golden brown, and serve hot with the custard.