I think about food a lot.  When I can’t sleep I think of food, flavours (ok maybe cocktails too), and it was one of those sleepless nights that I had an idea of cooking a batter pudding in a Dutch oven.  The problem is I don’t have a Dutch oven but I thought surely I could make one?

I eventually came up with the idea of either using an old oven tray (didn’t have one of those) or an old metal dustpan lid (which I did have).  If it didn’t work then I would just have to flip over the batter pudding and be done with it.  Luckily, it worked and tasted fabulous.

Next time I make this recipe, I think I might reduce the amount of milk to enable a puffier finish but it’s tasty either way.  Boy was it delicious cold with a beer.

Woodfired Bacon and Onion Batter Pudding

(Serves 8)

2-3 tablespoon sunflower oil

1 large onion, chopped

6 rashers smoked bacon, chopped

350g plain flour

2 pints milk

4 eggs

Black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped

Once your fire is hot and throwing out a lot of heat, place your pan on the grill, add 1 tablespoon of oil and fry the onion until starting to soften then add the bacon and allow to colour slightly.  Remove from the heat otherwise this will burn and become bitter.

Add the remaining oil and allow to become intensely hot.  Also, place your “lid” on the heat to get hot.  Very hot.

For the batter, mix together the flour, milk, eggs, black pepper, and beat together until all lumps removed.  Once the oil is smoking hot, pour over the batter mix and immediately cover with the hot “lid”.

After 5 minutes, add the onion and bacon mix to the batter pudding and sprinkle over the thyme leaves, place the lid back on and cover with the embers from the fire or hot logs as I used.

Continue cooking for about a further 5 minutes and check if cooked.

Remove from the heat and serve with a good chutney and a simple leaf salad.