Medlock Ames Marmalade Pudding

In a departure from the typical food pairing concept, we’ve chosen a warming, comforting and deliciously simple recipe to accompany the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon. Braised beef, lamb shanks, or any number of rich and hearty dishes would be perfect with such a wine. Instead, being a little bit different as we are, we have decided to show off a lovely sweet to warm the soul as we say good bye (or begin to say goodbye) to winter. It was also a great excuse to feature Medlock Ames marmalade – please let us know if you’d like the recipe for this tangy treat or (better yet) if you’d like us to send you some with your next shipment! Citrus fruits are coming to the end of their season so there is no better time to make jam.

This is actually a variation of a classic dish – based on versions used both by Chez Panisse of Berkeley and the Three Chimneys of the Isle of Skye, Scotland: magical restaurants that seek inspiration in natural cooking.
 

• Medlock Ames Marmalade – a whole jar if you can spare it
• 10 tablespoons of unsalted butter (Irish works best)
• 1 fresh lemon
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 eggs – yolks and whites separated
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• A large pinch of salt
• ½ cup of whole milk
• ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar

Take a 9 or 10 inch cake pan and balance over a low heat – add 2 tablespoons of butter. Once melted and spread around, add the marmalade to cover the entire bottom of the pan. Turn the heat off and squeeze the lemon juice over the sweet topping then set aside. Heat oven to around 350¢ªF and begin work on the batter. Beat the remaining butter (8 tablespoons) with the sugar until fluffy, light and lifted. An electric mixer of food processor will do the job in record time but there is something therapeutic about hand mixing….if you have the time. Add vanilla and then both yolks, taking care to work in all of the buttery mixture. Then, sieve the flour, baking powder and salt into the batter while dribbling milk into the mix every now and then. Whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar until they form little stiff peaks – not any longer. Then, carefully fold into the batter so as not to lose all that air held captive by the egg whites. Pour the finished mixture over the sticky marmalade covered cake pan and gently push it into an even layer. Bake until the cake is browned and starts to break away from the sides of the pan – 30 minutes or so should do it. Let the pan rest a minute and then take a large plate, place it on top of the pan and then flip them over together to reveal the steaming, finished sweet in all its glory.

The tangy sweetness of the marmalade and the added acidity of the lemon juice provide a wonderful partner to the warm and delicate cake base which lies beneath. If you enjoy this dish, switch out the marmalade for other preserves or grab some fresh soft fruits instead. They might require a little additional sugar but not much.