Merry citrus! Heston's orange Christmas pud flies off the shelves

By TAMARA COHEN

The £13.99 pudding, which contains a candied orange in the centre can be cooked in the microwave


Christmas dinner is usually a time for tradition.

But when tucking in to the turkey, stuffing and pud this year, you may need to prepare yourself for an unusual surprise.

The must-have culinary craze this year is Heston Blumenthal’s Hidden Orange Christmas Pudding, priced at £13.99, which has been flying off the shelves.

Heston Blumenthal is famed for unusual culinary concoctions - including snail porridge and bacon and eggs ice cream


As the name suggests, it looks like the puddings we are all used to, but cut it open to reveal a whole candied orange inside.

It is unclear why the unusual idea, from the celebrity chef famed creations such as snail porrige and bacon and eggs ice cream, has been such a hit.

Waitrose has declared it is almost out of them and the product is no longer available on the supermarket’s website.

In an advert for his creation, the chef claims: ‘The candied orange in the middle of this incredibly moist Christmas pudding makes it very special. As it cooks, the essential oils from the orange peel infuse the nuts and fruit from the inside out producing a wonderfully aromatic Christmas pudding.’

It serves ten to 12 people and discussion on internet forums about who is planning to serve it to their family is at fever pitch, although it would appear it is having the ‘Marmite effect’ with people either loving or hating the idea.

One fan wrote: ‘It is unusually light and interesting. It’s moist, there’s a high fruit-and-nut-to-breadcrumb-bulk ratio, and the orange oils counterpoint the booze.’

The orange pudding is part of a range of off-beat dishes Heston Blumenthal has created as a ‘food ambassador’ for Waitrose including vanilla mayonnaise and ponzu salad dressing.

Unlike most of his creations, the pudding is easy to prepare in the microwave.
Heston’s own perfect Christmas dinner is much more complicated, on a television show in 2007 he created a three course meal for friends, consisting of goose with vapourised chestnuts, hot ice cream and a dish made from gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Other bizarre Christmas crazes following endorsement by popular celebrity chefs, include goose fat which was in demand in 2006 after it was given the thumbs up by Nigella Lawson.


source :dailymail

Posted in: Delicious Foods