The simplest Summer Pudding from Nigel Slater's Taste

We have an abundance of summer fruits at the moment - all ripened early due to the April heatwave but you still need to either eat them within a couple of days of buying them or they will mould, even in the fridge. I had a large punnet of raspberries and they were selling off blackcurrents and redcurrants cheap so a Summer pudding was the perfect way to use up the fruit that wasn't eaten this weekend.

I know perfectionists will use a bowl lined with bread and filled with the fruit and weighted down - but I like things simple and easy and that's why this recipe from the fantastic Nigel Slater taken from his book Taste is the one I always turn to.

After washing and carefully removing all the stalks from the fruit, add to a pan with a tumbler of water and about 100g of sugar. For 6 people you will need around 850g of fruit. Bring the berries to the boil and allow them to go pop and release their juices. Cut the crusts off a white loaf of bread and line the bottom of a dish. Cover with the fruit and layer bread and fruit until it is all used up. There should be enough fruit to really soak through while it is cooling and then again when it is in the fridge. It should be in the fridge for at least an hour.

We had it with thick double cream and the bowls were scraped clean.