Fifteen Kilograms of Imperfect Lemons

INGREDIENTS

Yields: 8 servings

• butter (for greasing)
• 75 grams golden sultanas
• 16 slices slightly stale brioche
• 8 teaspoons fine cut or shredless orange marmalade
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 large egg yolks
• 500 millilitres double cream
• 250 millilitres milk
• 2 teaspoons demerara sugar

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 3/170°C/150°C Fan/325ºF. Butter a 2 litre / 8 cup pudding dish.
2. Put the sultanas and Grand Marnier into a small saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for a minute or so, then turn off the heat and leave the fruit to plump up in the orange-scented liquor.
3. Make marmalade sandwiches with the brioche slices, using about a teaspoon in each. Because brioche is so buttery, don’t spread any butter in the sandwiches or the pudding will be greasy. Cut each sandwich into a triangle and put these triangles, one point side up, the next one pointy bit down and so on, in the buttered dish. You will probably have two sandwiches left after the dish is full from oval-tip to oval-tip, so squish these two in, one either side of the line of sandwiches. Sprinkle over the sultanas along with any remaining liquor in the pan.
4. In a bowl whisk together the sugar, whole eggs, yolks, cream and milk. Pour over the brioche sandwiches and leave to stand for 15 minutes.
5. Before the pudding goes in the oven, sprinkle over the Demerara sugar, then bake for 45 minutes, by which time the rich custard should be at the very point of setting.