Nesselrode Pudding

Method

1. Put 30 g finely chopped candied fruit and 15 g currants in a small bowl, pour over 1 tbsp maraschino, cover and leave to steep at room temperature for at least 1 hour, stirring once or twice, until the fruit is plump and scented.
2. Put 100 g cooked chestnuts in a small saucepan with 60 ml whole milk and 0.25 tsp vanilla extract. Bring barely to a simmer over a low heat and cook for 10 minutes, until the chestnuts crush easily against the side of the pan. Press the lot through a fine sieve with the back of a ladle to give a perfectly smooth purée — this is what keeps the finished pudding silky rather than grainy.
3. Whisk 1 egg yolk with 25 g caster sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl until pale. Return the warm chestnut purée to the pan, whisk in the yolk mixture and stir constantly over the lowest heat for 3-4 minutes, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon (about 82C). Do not let it boil or the yolk will scramble.
4. Scrape the custard into a cold bowl, cover the surface with cling film and chill over a bowl of iced water, then in the fridge, for about 30 minutes until thoroughly cold. A warm base will melt the cream and coarsen the texture.