Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding

The story

Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding is a Jamaican dessert with a clear sense of place. Sweet potato pudding is an iconic Jamaican baked dessert traditionally associated with coal-pot and outdoor baking methods, summed up in the old phrase about fire above and below. The recipe below keeps the defining ingredients and technique intact while giving practical metric quantities and enough detail for a home cook to judge texture, seasoning and doneness rather than simply follow a timer.

Ingredients

• 1200 g white-fleshed or orange sweet potatopeeled and finely grated
• 600 ml coconut milk
• 300 g dark brown sugar
• 150 g plain flour
• 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 0.5 tsp fine salt
• 100 g Raisinsoptional
• 30 g butterfor tin and topping

Method

1. Grate the sweet potato finely so it

   Grate the sweet potato finely so it can soften fully during baking. Heat the oven to 175°C and butter a deep 23 cm tin or baking dish.

   Tip: Grate finely and give it a long cooling rest. The desired texture is closer to a dense pudding than a fluffy sponge. Avoid: Coarse grating leaves raw strands, too much flour makes it cakey and cutting hot causes the pudding to slump.

2. Mix coconut milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger,

   Mix coconut milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla and salt until the sugar begins to dissolve.

   Look for: the sugar begins to dissolve

3. Combine grated sweet potato with flour, then

   Combine grated sweet potato with flour, then pour in the spiced coconut mixture and optional raisins. Stir very thoroughly so no pockets of dry flour remain.

4. Pour into the dish, dot with butter

   Pour into the dish, dot with butter and bake 70 minutes. The top should darken and the centre should become firm but still moist.

5. For a darker custard-like top, spoon a

   For a darker custard-like top, spoon a few tablespoons of sweetened coconut milk over the surface and bake another 20–30 minutes until deeply burnished.

   Look for: deeply burnished

6. Cool at least 45 minutes before slicing

   Cool at least 45 minutes before slicing. The pudding firms significantly as it rests and is often best warm rather than piping hot.

   Look for: Centre is set with no wet batter, top is dark and slightly sticky, and a slice holds cleanly after resting.

Nutrition

per serving

Estimated from the listed ingredients and default serving size. Actual values vary with brands, trimming, absorption and cooking losses.