Summer Pudding
4 Servings

In “Home Made Winter” I gave you the winter version of this pudding, but this is the original. You can use any combination of about 3 1/2 pints (1.25 kg) mixed berries, but this is my favorite combination.
 
1 pint (300 g) fresh strawberries, hulled and halved (big ones quartered)
2/3 pint (250 g) fresh blackberries
1/3 pint (100 g) fresh red currants
1-1/2 pints (500 g) fresh raspberries
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. (175 g) superfine sugar
3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
7 square slices stale white bread
Crème fraîche or sour cream for serving
 
Keeping the strawberries separate, wash the berries and carefully pat them dry with a paper towel.
 
In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and lemon juice and bring to a gentle boil. Cook until the sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally.
 
Add all the fruit except the strawberries and boil for 3 minutes tops, stirring, until the berries are soft and release their juices.
 
Place a sieve over a bowl and pour in the fruit. Reserve the fruit and the juices.

Line a 2-cup (500-ml) pudding mold with plastic wrap, letting the plastic overhang the sides. Remove the crust from 5 of the bread slices. Halve them lengthwise. Cut out a circle from the sixth slice to match the size of the bottom of the pudding mold.
 
Dip each cut slice of bread for 1 second in the fruit juice you collected in the bowl and use the slices to line the mold, the rectangular slices for the sides, the circle for the bottom.
 
Stir the strawberries into the rest of the fruit and fill the mold with the fruit.
 
Cut out a circle from the last slice of bread to match the size of the open top of the mold, dip it into the fruit juice, and use it to cover the pudding. Pull the plastic wrap over the top of the pudding and place something heavy directly onto the pudding. (I have a saucer that fits perfectly and I put a can of beans on top of that.)

Place in the fridge overnight, or for at least 6 or 7 hours.
 
Strain the remaining fruit syrup and save it in a little pitcher in the refrigerator.
 
Before serving, open up the plastic and place a large plate on top of the mold. Holding the plate onto the mold, invert the pudding onto the plate. Lift off the mold and remove the plastic wrap.
 
Serve summer pudding in wedges, with crème fraîche or sour cream and some of the fruit syrup.