Dan's Portly Christmas Pud

Dan Beasley-Harling: “For me, there’s only one way to eat Christmas pudding, and that’s with a generous helping of brandy butter. And as for any leftovers, try cutting a slice and frying it in butter! So bad, but so good!"

1. Place the mixed dried fruit, chopped dried apricots and port into a large bowl, and mix well.
2. Cover the bowl and set aside overnight - this will allow the dried fruits to plump up and absorb the port.
3. The next day, add all the remaining ingredients into the fruit. Stir everything together well.
4. This is a great time to solicit help from every member of the family, to stir in their wishes for the coming year!
5. Grease a 3 pint (1.7 litre) plastic pudding basin generously with butter, remembering to grease the inside of the lid as well.
6. Press the mixture down firmly into the pudding basin, ensuring that there are no air pockets.
7. If you have a lucky sixpence to add to the pudding, do this now; Insert the coin vertically, so that it’s more likely to be hidden within a slice when served.
8. Smooth over the surface of the pudding as much as possible, and then add a circle of baking parchment on top.
9. Affix the lid of the pudding basin, and then wrap it in a couple of layers of aluminium foil.
10. Place the pudding basin into a lidded flameproof pan that is large enough to enclose it completely.
11. Add enough water to go halfway up the pudding basin, and then bring the water to a boil. When the water is boiling, turn the heat down low and put on the lid.
12. Simmer the pudding for 5 hours.
13. After 5 hours, turn off the heat, and carefully remove the pudding, leaving it to cool until it can be comfortably handled.
14. Remove the foil and dry the pudding basin thoroughly, then re-warp in fresh foil and store until needed.
15. When you are ready to eat your pudding, place it into a water bath as before. This time, steam the pudding for 3 hours, until it is fully heated through.

Then invert onto a serving plate, and enjoy!

(And remember to warn your guests about the lucky sixpence if you added one!)