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BRINGING PUDDINGS TO LIFE FOOD & COOKING ARTICLE

Iced Berry and Lemon Meringue Layer
by Chef Phil Vickery

Celebrity chef Phil Vickery cooks up a pudding storm

Everyone has their favourite pudding but not everyone knows how to make them! However, help is here in the form of Celebrity Chef Phil Vickery. Phil is here to give easy step-by-step instructions to create twelve fantastic puddings, one pudcast a month. Summer’s well and truly underway and British strawberries in the sunshine always spring to mind as the perfect way to enjoy it. If you’re looking for inspirational yummy desserts, this month celebrity chef and Carnation ambassador Phil Vickery shows you how to make a more sophisticated summer treat – an Iced Strawberry and Lemon Meringue Layer.

Everybody loves a good pud! From homemade apple pie to granny's spotted dick or mum's treacle tart, everyone's a winner. But how often do you make home-made puds and do you really know where to start?

Although more and more people are experimenting in the kitchen with puddings, one in five Brits have never attempted a home-made pudding, according to new research by Carnation. So what's stopping Brits from getting their hands dirty in the kitchen? Perhaps, if you had a top chef in the kitchen with you, you'd be more inclined to whip up a nice pudding. Well now you can!

Celebrity chef Phil Vickery is here to save the day. Over the coming months he will be welcoming us in to his kitchen to take us through the simple steps to create twelve fantastic puddings. Click on Podcast below to watch his latest instalment demonstrating how to make . . .

Still looking for inspiration? Why not logon to www.carnation.co.uk where you can look through a variety of Phil's tasty recipes and download the pudcasts.

PUDCASTS

To stop the spread of pudding paranoia and encourage the nation to rediscover its taste for homemade puddings, today, celebrity chef Phil Vickery launches a series of Pudcasts; a monthly series of six podcasts showing you how to create simple, yet impressive, desserts. Let's face it, even cook books aren't fool-proof, but you'll be hard pressed to go wrong when you've got the step-by-step directions on a screen right in front of your eyes! So why not harness the power of technology and watch one of Phil's pudcasts - you can't go wrong!

WHAT YOU GOT COOKIN'?

Cooking's not just about the end result. According to Phil, as well as missing out on the delicious taste of authentic homemade cooking, people are passing up the opportunity to experience the psychological benefits of making something for themselves. Creating your own mouth-watering pudding can be extremely rewarding, especially if cooking for family and friends. To see others really enjoying something you have prepared from scratch can leave you with a real sense of satisfaction and pride.

CHEF PHIL VICKERY

Phil started his career in a seaside hotel in Folkestone Kent, after leaving college. He then went to the Lake District to the famous Michaels Nook Country House hotel, where his food was rated the best in the lakes.

After 6 months touring Australia and New Zealand he took up one of two stints at the world famous Gravetye Manor in West Sussex. Once as chef de partie, and sous chef. This is where he really found his love for great British produce and cooking. This led on to his next position as Ian Mc Andrew's sous chef at Restaurant 74

After the second stint at Gravetye Manor, Phil then travelled to the south west to open a luxurious hotel, then moving to The Castle hotel after Gary Rhodes left in 1999. Here he really found his niche and over the next 9 years he won many accolades, including a Michelin star, Egon Ronay stars and 4 AA rosettes. Phil moved onto development in 2000 co-founding The Food Bureau with partner and friend Steven Poole.

Phil has written six books, including 'A Passion for Puddings'. He also writes for many magazines, articles and is a member of The Guild Of Food Writers.

Phil has been a regular chef on BBC's Ready Steady Cook for 10 years. He is also resident chef on ITV's This Morning and is a regular contributor to Radio Five Live and BBC's Breakfast programme.

ICED BERRY AND LEMON MERINGUE LAYER

Iced Berry and Lemon Meringue Layer"This is a real no-fuss dinner party centre piece that you can make a day or two ahead. You won’t believe how easy it is to make – the perfect way to celebrate the fruit of the season." ~ Phil Vickery

Ingredients

55g (2oz) meringues
150ml (¼pt) double cream
405g can Carnation Condensed Milk Light
Zest and juice 3 lemons
150g (5½oz) raspberries
150g (5½oz) strawberries, topped and finely chopped
2tbsp strawberry or raspberry jam

Method

  • Double line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with cling film, allowing plenty of excess film to overlap the edges of the tin.
  • Break the meringues into small pieces - but not too small.
  • Whip the cream to soft peaks and then stir in the condensed milk.
  • Add the lemon zest and juice - the mixture should thicken.
  • Mix the berries with the jam.
  • Pour a few spoonfuls of the cream mixture to just coat the base of the tin. Sprinkle over half the meringues and then scatter over half the jammy berries.
  • Repeat the layers finishing with the cream mixture.
  • Wrap the cling film over the top of the tin and freeze for 4 hours or overnight.

Tip:

  • Once made, the meringue needs to set for four hours before serving – why not make up a batch the day before your event and leave overnight to set instead!
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Serves 8

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