Best of New York 2009 • Eating

• The John Dory

  85 Tenth Ave., nr. 16th St. 212-929-4948

  To the average expat Brit, steamed treacle pudding might conjure memories—nightmares, really—of morose school lunches ending tragically with a heavy suet-laden thing covered in lumpy custard. In April Bloomfield’s hands, though, the homely dessert has emerged as a showstopper. “My mother always made a steamed pudding as a treat for Sunday get-togethers,” says the chef, who has modernized the recipe by swapping butter for the suet (the solid white fat surrounding the kidneys of sheep and cows). It’s something of a production for the cramped kitchen, requiring over an hour of steaming to achieve the proper moist, fluffy texture. A bit of lemon zest cuts the sweetness of the Lyle’s Golden Syrup that glistens on top, and a hint of vanilla flavors the velvety-smooth custard that’s drizzled over the imposing portion ($20 for two, but you’ll need a larger party to do the thing justice).

  See Also
  More Desserts From Adam Platt's Where to Eat 2009

From the 2009 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine