Pathfinder pudding is a classic British suet pudding but with a leek and parsnip filling instead of meat. As you might guess from the name, the recipe appears to originate from the Royal Air Force kitchen.
Celebrating Heritage British Food & Cooking
I can’t find any evidence to provide the connection between the Pathfinder squadrons and this suet pudding but it appears in the RAF museum archives so was probably a recipe used in the messes to provide a filling meal for aircrew.
A Recipe From My Britain At War Collection
During WWII and for nearly 10 years afterwards, the UK population was subject to food rationing. To feed the family some very creative recipes were used to make the best of the available foodstuffs. Eggs and meat in particular were severely restricted.
Rationing finally ended in 1954 when the last item, meat was made freely available.
Pathfinder Pudding
Ingredients
For the suet pastry:
- 170 g flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 30 g suet chopped or grated
- 45 g potato (uncooked and
- shredded)
- water
For the filling:
- 900 g parsnips cooked and diced
- 115 g cheese grated
- 1 whole leek uncooked and sliced
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
Conversions
Instructions
- Mix the flour, salt and baking powder and add the suet, potato and
- water to bind.
- Roll out three-quarters of the pastry to line a 2-pint greased basin.
- Mix the parsnips, cheese, leek, mustard, pepper and salt together.
- Empty the mix into the lined basin.
- Roll out the remaining pastry to form a lid. Put this onto the pudding.
- Cover the pudding and steam for 2 hours.
You may also like one of my other favourite recipes …
