Figgy Pudding — the steamed fig pudding of the Christmas carol

i. Origin & history

Figs have been part of English feast food since the Middle Ages, imported dried from the Mediterranean along with raisins, currants and spices. Medieval cooks made thick 'puddings' and pottages of figs, wine, bread and spice, and these rich, sweet-savoury mixtures were eaten at Christmas, Lent and Palm Sunday — in some parts of England, Palm Sunday was once known as 'Fig Sunday'. Boiled puddings in a cloth and later steamed puddings in a basin developed through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and fig puddings were among them.

The name has a twist. In older English and in West Country dialect, 'figgy' did not always mean figs: it was used for raisins and dried fruit in general, much as 'plum' in 'plum pudding' meant raisins rather than plums. Cornish figgy hobbin and Newfoundland figgy duff are both made with raisins. So the 'figgy pudding' of the carol may have been any rich fruit pudding. Today, though, the name is used for puddings made genuinely with figs.

The carol itself grew out of the West Country tradition of wassailing and carolling door to door, when singers expected food or drink in return — hence the insistence that 'we won't go until we get some'. The familiar arrangement is usually dated to the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, though the words draw on older custom.

By the Victorian era the Christmas pudding of raisins, currants and peel had become the national dish of the season, and figgy pudding faded from most tables. It has enjoyed a revival in recent years, partly thanks to the carol, as a slightly lighter, less intensely fruited alternative to Christmas pudding.

ii. Why suet and long steaming

Figgy pudding belongs to the suet pudding family. Suet, the hard fat from around beef or lamb kidneys, melts at a higher temperature than butter. During long, gentle steaming, the tiny pieces of suet melt slowly, leaving small pockets in the crumb that give a light, open, moist texture — much lighter than its density suggests. Butter melts too quickly and makes a heavier, greasier pudding. Vegetable suet, made from palm or sunflower fat, gives similar results.

Breadcrumbs are the other traditional element. They absorb the moisture from the figs and brandy and give a softer, more tender texture than flour alone. Many old recipes used breadcrumbs as the main dry ingredient, with only a little flour.

Steaming cooks the pudding in moist heat at just under 100 °C. The pudding never dries out or forms a crust, and the long cooking — around three hours — darkens the sugars and treacle, gives a deep, complex flavour and fully cooks the dense mixture through to the centre. The basin must be tightly covered with pleated paper and foil to keep the steam out while allowing the pudding to rise.

Soaking the figs in brandy for a few hours or overnight plumps them up and spreads their flavour through the pudding. Figs contain natural pectin and seeds that give the finished pudding a slightly jammy texture and a gentle crunch.

iii. Ingredients

Makes 8 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust

• 250 g dried figs, stalks removed, chopped
• 75 ml brandy or dark rum
• 100 g shredded suet (beef or vegetable)
• 100 g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 75 g self-raising flour
• 100 g dark muscovado sugar
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 1 orange, finely grated zest
• 1 small apple, peeled and grated
• 2 tbsp black treacle
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 100 ml milk
• 50 g chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Use soft, moist dried figs such as Turkish or Calimyrna; very hard figs should be simmered in the brandy for 5 minutes. Suet is traditional and gives the lightest texture; vegetable suet makes the pudding vegetarian, and frozen, grated butter is an acceptable substitute. Use fresh breadcrumbs, not dried. The grated apple adds moisture and lightness. Black treacle gives colour and depth.

iv. Method

1. Put the chopped figs in a bowl with the brandy, cover and leave to soak for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
2. Butter a 1.2 litre pudding basin and put a small disc of baking paper in the base. Put a trivet or folded cloth in a large, deep pan with a lid and half-fill with water; bring to a simmer.
3. In a large bowl, mix the suet, breadcrumbs, flour, sugar, spices and orange zest. Stir in the soaked figs and any liquid, the grated apple and nuts.
4. Whisk the treacle, eggs and milk together and stir into the dry ingredients to make a soft, dropping mixture.
5. Spoon into the basin and level the top; it should be about three-quarters full. Cover with a sheet of baking paper and a sheet of foil, both pleated in the middle to allow expansion. Tie tightly under the rim with string, and make a string handle.
6. Lower the basin into the pan; the water should come halfway up the sides. Cover and steam at a gentle simmer for 3 hours, topping up with boiling water every 45 minutes so it never boils dry.
7. Lift out the basin, remove the covers and run a knife round the edge. Turn out onto a warm plate. The pudding should be dark, firm and springy, and a skewer should come out clean.
8. Serve hot with custard, cream or brandy butter. To flame it, warm 3 tbsp brandy in a small pan, pour over and light carefully.

v. Tips & common mistakes

• Pleat the covering. The pudding rises as it steams; a flat, tight cover can burst or compress it.
• Never let the pan boil dry. Set a timer to top up with boiling water. Cold water stops the cooking and makes the pudding heavy.
• Keep the simmer gentle. A violent boil rattles the basin and can let water seep under the cover.
• Do not overfill the basin. Three-quarters full leaves room to rise.
• Soak the figs. Unsoaked figs stay chewy and draw moisture from the pudding.
• Use a microwave for quick reheating. Individual slices heat well in 30–60 seconds; the whole pudding should be re-steamed for 1 hour.

vi. Variations

Christmas pudding, or plum pudding, replaces the figs with raisins, currants, sultanas and peel and is usually aged for weeks. Figgy duff, from Newfoundland and Cornwall, is a raisin pudding boiled in a cloth. Some modern figgy puddings add dates, chocolate or stem ginger, or are baked in a water bath instead of steamed.

For other British steamed puddings, see spotted dick, jam roly-poly and the baked sticky date pudding. Figs star elsewhere on DessertCat in fig and walnut cake, spiced fig cake and fig Newtons.

vii. Serving & storage

Figgy pudding is served hot, in wedges, as the finale of Christmas dinner or a winter Sunday lunch. Traditional accompaniments are hot custard, brandy butter (hard sauce), rum sauce or pouring cream. Flaming it with brandy at the table is a theatrical touch.

Once cooled, wrap the pudding in its basin with fresh paper and foil and keep in a cool place for up to 2 weeks or in the fridge for a month; the alcohol and sugar preserve it. Re-steam for 1–1½ hours before serving. It freezes well for up to 6 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before re-steaming.

ix. More from British & Irish

• Spotted Dick — steamed currant pudding
• Jam Roly-Poly — steamed jam roll
• Sticky Date Pudding — toffee-sauced date sponge
• Treacle Tart — golden syrup tart
• Spiced Fig Cake — warm-spiced fig loaf
• Bûche de Noël — French Christmas log