Ingredients

• 600ml/1 pint full-fat milk
• 25g/1oz butter
• plus extra for greasing the dish
• 1 lemon
• zest finely grated
• 50g/2oz caster sugar
• 3 free-range eggs
• yolks only
• 75g/3oz fresh white breadcrumbs
• 175g/6oz caster sugar
• 3 free-range eggs
• whites only
• 200g/7oz fresh mixed summer fruits
• or 500g/1lb 2oz frozen. (Alternatively you can use raspberry jam if you prefer.)
• 200g/7oz caster sugar (or to taste)
• pouring cream

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3 and grease a 1.4 litre/2½ pint shallow ovenproof dish (one that will fit into a roasting tin) with butter.
• For the base
• very gently warm the milk in a small saucepan. Add the butter
• lemon zest and the 50g/2oz of sugar
• stir until dissolved.
• Lightly whisk the egg yolks in a bowl. Slowly pour the warm milk into the eggs
• while whisking.
• Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the base of the buttered dish and pour over the custard. Leave to stand for about 15 minutes
• so the breadcrumbs absorb the liquid.
• Carefully transfer the dish to a roasting tin and fill the tin halfway with hot water. Bake the custard in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes until the custard has set. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool a little.
• Meanwhile
• put the mixed summer fruits into a pan and warm over a gentle heat. Once they’ve softened and released their juice
• add the sugar and cook for a further three minutes.
• Heat gently until you have a jam-like consistency. If you are using frozen berries they will release more liquid so you might need to cook for longer to thicken to the right jam consistency.
• Whisk the egg whites using an electric hand whisk on full speed until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed. Add the remaining 175g/6oz sugar a teaspoon at a time
• still whisking on maximum speed until the mixture is stiff and shiny. Transfer the meringue mixture to a piping bag.
• Spread 4-5 tablespoons of the fruit jam over the set custard
• then pipe the meringue on top.
• Lower the oven temperature to 150C/130C Fan/Gas 2 and return the pudding to the oven (not in the roasting tin with water) for about 25-30 minutes until the meringue is pale golden all over and crisp. Serve at once with pouring cream.