summer's here and the time is right...

Berries are one of the many great things about Summer!  And here is my take on a classic dessert...summer berry pudding.

Most recipes call for cooking the fruit or some of the fruit.  I like to skip the cooking so that I can keep the flavor of the berries as fresh and lively as possible.

Here, I've cut up the strawberries and added them to the blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.  I then tossed them with some sugar, lemon juice and a few sprigs of fresh lemon verbena (fresh mint would work equally well).  The amount of each is basically up to you, but you do need enough sugar to help the berries release much of their juice and enough lemon juice to balance out that sweet.  Let the berries macerate for about an hour, stirring them up occasionally.  (remove the verbena before moving on)

Here I have cut most of the crust off some light and airy pain de mie, but I have also used brioche.  I would say the amount of the bread I added was about 3/4 the volume of the berries I had.  I suggest starting with about 1/2 the volume and stir it in every 5-10 minutes and really let the bread soak up the syrup created by the berries.  Add more bread as needed until the mixture is thick enough that it will hold together  (this part is tricky...it will all make more sense the second time you make this)

 Still soaking...

Here you can see how the mixture has changed.  The blackberries and raspberries break down and join the bread to become the mortar and the strawberries and blueberries act as the bricks.  I lined a loaf pan with plastic and pressed the mixture in tightly to make sure there were no air pockets.  I folded the plastic back over the top and weighted it down for a full day in the refrigerator.  I used a brick wrapped in tin foil...but you can use whatever happens to fit your pan. 

The next day, carefully pull out the plastic wrapped pudding.  Wrap it in an additional few layers of wrap.  The pudding is barely being held together by the bread, so the additional wrap will hold it together as you make slices.  A super sharp knife is a must...a long thin slicer being the best choice.  You can place the slice on a plate, then carefully remove the plastic and there you have it...I like mine with a dollop of just slightly sweetened and whipped crème fraîche!

Try this soon before all of the berries are gone...