Desserts

Rich Carrageen Moss Pudding

15 mins
Prep
20 mins
Cook
4
Servings

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Ingredients

  • 15g dried Carrageen moss (available in Irish health food shops)
  • 600ml whole milk
  • 1 vanilla pod (split) or 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg (separated)
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • To Serve: Stewed seasonal berries or dark honey

Method

  1. Soak the dried Carrageen moss in a bowl of warm water for 15 minutes until it softens and swells. Drain and rinse thoroughly.
  2. Put the softened moss into a saucepan with the milk and the split vanilla pod. Bring to a very gentle simmer and cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes. The liquid will thicken slightly as the natural starches release.
  3. While simmered, whisk the egg yolk and sugar together in a bowl.
  4. Strain the hot milk through a fine sieve onto the egg yolk mixture, pressing down hard on the seaweed to extract all the gelatinous richness. Discard the moss. Whisk the milk and egg mixture together.
  5. Whisk the egg white in a separate clean bowl until stiff peaks form, then gently fold it into the warm vanilla custard liquid (this creates an incredibly light mousse texture).
  6. Pour into individual molds or a serving bowl and chill in the fridge for 3-4 hours until set. Serve with fruit compote.

Carrageen (Irish Moss) is a traditional coastal seaweed used for centuries as a natural setting agent. This heritage recipe yields an incredibly light, melt-in-the-mouth vanilla custard pudding that bypasses gelatin entirely.