I Want My Spotted Dick!

Spotted Dick, though it sounds like some of the spam email I get, or a hilarious, albeit 1st-grade-potty-mouth kind of joke, is actually a boiled or steamed suet pudding containing dried fruit, usually currants or raisins that are seen on the surface as little spots.

I had a interesting time researching this recipe.  I found a wide variety in the recipes, lots of tongue-in-cheek references and innuendo, and of course, lots of speculation about how it got its name.

According to The Straight Dope "dick" is derived from "pudding", like so...

My sources all pretty much agree with the derivation, without being specific how. However, I can see "pudding" become "puddink" becoming "puddick" and then just "dick."

The earliest recipes for spotted dick are from 1847. Come on, couldn't it just be a little old-time ribald humor? A little more history...

The word "dick" has appeared in any number of strange places. Around the 1840s, "dick" was used to mean a type of hard cheese; when treacle sauce was added, it became "treacle dick", and finally when currants or raisins were added (looking like little spots), the "spotted dick" was born.

Now, I hate to point out the obvious, but mightn't the fact that it was traditionally a rolled-up, sausage kind of shape and about 6 inches long have something to do with it? Why try to put a different face on it. Or rather ... well, you know what I mean.

I couldn't find any pictures of the sausage-shaped kind. All the pictures I found from recent recipes look like a regular upside-down bowl shaped pudding, like this photo here.

I don't get it. Maybe they're trying to avoid the innuendo. This dish is also sometimes called Spotted Dog, again, probably trying to keep the chuckles and blushes to a minimum. Too bad, really. I guess I have an infantile sense of humor but I find the whole thing very funny.

Apparently the Brits tried to change the name from Spotted Dick to Spotted Richard some years ago. When sales of the pudding dropped off, one supermarket chain conducted a survey. Results:

While 98 per cent of male respondents listed spotted dick as among their favourite desserts, 78 per cent admitted its name made them feel uncomfortable.

Especially when having to order from a female server. I guess old traditions are hard to beat, though, and it was later decided to change the name back. Spotted Dick it was, and Spotted Dick it shall be.

Oh you silly Brits. Step up to the plate. State your preference! Say it loud and proud, "I want a Spotted Dick! And be quick about it!"

Recipes --

There are lots of variations in the recipes I found online. This recipe sounds very authentic to the original, and very basic: just flour, suet, water and dried fruit. Sounds less like a pudding, more like a roll. Unless I'm missing something, which is entirely possible. It's hard to tell without pictures. I wish they would include some photos. When I get around to actually making this thing, I'll take some pictures and insert them here.

The recipe I chose to include here, from the UKTV Food website is yer standard pud-dick, although definitely with an exotic flair.

Pineapple Spotted Dick with Toffee Sauce
Ingredients
300g plain flour
1.5 tsp Baking powder
150g shredded suet
75g Sugar
100g currants
1 orange, grated zest
150ml Milk
125g pineapple

For the custard
6 egg yolks
75g Sugar
600ml Milk
1 vanilla pod, split

For the toffee sauce
100g soft dark sugar
100g butter
100g golden syrup
100ml double cream

Method

1. Generously grease a pudding basin.


2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, suet, sugar, currants and orange zest. Fold in the milk and pineapple.


3. Transfer the mixture into the buttered bowl and cover with pleated greaseproof paper, securing it under the rim with string to allow room for the pudding to expand.


4. Place the pudding in a pan of simmering water – the water should come just below bowls’s rim. Steam the pudding for 1 hour. While the pudding is cooking, make the custard.


5. For the custard, beat together the yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl. Put the milk and vanilla pod in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Strain the hot milk onto the beaten eggs and whisk together.


6. Return the custard to the saucepan. Cook over a very low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens - the custard should lightly coat the back of a spoon.


7. To make the toffee sauce, place the sugar, butter and golden syrup in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat and stir in the cream.


8. Serve the pudding in slices, and accompany with the warm custard and toffee sauce

It sure sounds delicious. But it also sounds like a LOT of work. You know, I may just cheat and get some Spotted Dick in a Can.

Comments

[chip]

I being the overly cool (despite being 40 years old) American English as a second language teacher that I am (why because I teach such stuff when presented with the opportunity to do so...)have a flock of Japanese female volleyball players / exchange students that I stumbled over one day last summer while up in Boston (for anyone who speaks Japanese "Dekiru Dakara ..because I can)coming down to the beach house for the weekend in May. I see it as my duty as an English teacher but more so as a guy to gently but on a silver platter aid them in discovering this wonderful and suprisingly tasty dish by leaving a few cans scattered conspicuously in my food storage pantry next to the pancake batter. However here is my question...Note I am dead serious about this question despite the opening up of the doors wide for further fun with words...If sponge bread pudding with raisins in it is a spotted dick would a dark sponge bread be a black dick and a light one be a white dick? Could one put a cream inside much like an eclair to get a cream filled dick? I have already discovered treacle dick which is just too easy to have fun with. Any assistance as to whether there are any famous Dicks out there without spots would be greatly appreciated. Of course I can make things up for the sake of fun so I am only looking for serious answers to this question.

[Link.Exchange]

I have got to say I found this post rather amusing. You'll need to forgive my ignorance for the first time I heard of Spotted Dick images of a dermatological skin came to mind. The good thing you seem to take kindly to the humor associated with this British dessert. I have come to realize that either Americans are ignorant or the British have an interesting sense of humor. Either way, keep up the interesting posts.

[spotted dick???]

spotted dick comes in a can??

[tayla]

HAHAH SPOTTED DICKK!!
DICKKKKKKKKKK

[Rob]

Hi there,
My late grandfather used to make a wicked spotted dick (suet pudding), I came across this blog and just had to write my piece....
For anyone who has never tryed spotted dick (suet pudding) i would recommend that you do, It's is bloody tasty..
Nothing like good old fashioned fair.
On that note i'm good to make one tomorrow (18/09/007) I'll let you know how it goes..
Regards Rob...
PS: Instead of using plain flour & baking powder, Just use self raising.. flour

[Rufus]

Horseradish Sauce Recipe:
Ingredients: sour cream, grated onion, prepared horseradish, salt... view the recipe

Also good with a splash of rum in the custard

Yummy! For there's nothing quite like a big bite of dick...

[MonaGrossip]

What a HOOT!!!!

[BennyM]

Actually, 'dick' means dough. Though that does take some of the fun out of it.

[Nick Mellersh]

My Aunt and probably my Mum made this in a roll shape. It was wrapped in a cloth (cheese cloth?) and boiled. It was delicious.

No pineapple or fancy things - it was like a sweet dumpling with currents in. The best bits are the slightly wet bits around the edge. And the custard - we despised egg custard and got our Bird's custard from a tin of custard powder.

as to "Dick" if "dick" was used for penis in those days I would bet on that derivation.

Nick Mellersh

[lizriz]

I'm SO ordering that!

Scrumptious blog BTW.

Cheers,

Liz

[David]

heh

Lotsa fun. I'm not EVEN going to attempt a topper for this in this week's carnival...

Great job. And I probably /will/ make one of these spotted dick recipes.