A keen cook, I love to explore regional recipes – from places I visit and from the area in which I live: the south of France and Kent. Today I am going to share with you a recipe for Kentish pudding pie, which is a little like a baked cheesecake or custard pie. It’s not well-known outside of Kent, but this recipe has been popular for many years in the area surrounding Folkestone, near my home.

Kent pudding pie is also known as Kent Lenten pie, because it was first made as a dessert for the meat-free Lent period.

Ingredients

100g ground rice

125g sultanas

150ml double cream

2 eggs

250ml milk

75g caster sugar

Enough shortcrust pastry to line a 20-cm flan dish or tin

1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
2. Grease the dish, line with pastry and bake for 10–15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a little.
3. Turn down the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5.
4. Whisk together the eggs and sugar.
5. Combine the cream and milk, place in a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil.
6. Whisk in the egg-and-sugar mixture.
7. Heat until the mixture is thickening.
8. Stir in the ground rice.
9. Fill the pastry case. Dot sultanas evenly over the top, and grate on a light dusting of nutmeg.
10. Bake until set and golden (keep checking it – from 10 to 20 minutes).

I like to serve the tart warm with home-made ice-cream (the nutty taste of brown bread ice cream compliments well), and compote made from apples from my garden with a touch of cinnamon.

Variations: Omit the nutmeg and add lemon zest instead. Try raisins or currants instead of sultanas. Add the nutmeg to the mixture instead of sprinkling over. Make six individual desserts using small tart tins.