Blueberry Boy-Bait

Now my instructions for this particular course were as follows, "rich." Normally in our house that means chocolate. However, I was in the mood for fruit. This presented a dilemma. I therefore turned to Nigella Lawson and her How to be a Domestic Goddess. I knew she could help me. J I found this recipe for Blueberry Boy-Bait—seemed appropriate for a date night. J It is fantastic! You should all try some.

Blueberry Boy-Bait

{from Nigella Lawson's How to be a Domestic Goddess; pg 126-7}

For the crust:

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing dish

2 ½ cups whole milk

2 teaspoons sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

5 large egg yolks (and keep the whites for the topping)

1 5-cup oval or round dish, buttered

For the blueberry filling:

12 ounces blueberries

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons lemon juice

For the meringue topping:

5 egg whites

7 tablespoons sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

To make the bread crumbs, simply process some stale good white bread to rubble. [I used some homemade bread I had on hand that was a day or two old. Mmmm] Preheat the oven to 325 F and put in a baking sheet.

Heat the butter and milk in a saucepan until hot but not boiling. [I did not have whole milk, I used 2 cups skim and ½ cup half-and-half.] Stir in the bread crumbs, sugar, and lemon zest, take off the heat, and leave to steep for 10 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks very thoroughly and pour this bread-thickened custard into your greased dish. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until it's firm on top but still with a hint of wobble underneath. Let it stand for a few minutes to let the top form a skin while you get on with the blueberries.

Put the fruit, sugar, flour, and juice in a saucepan, and stir to coat. Heat to a robust simmer and cook until you've got a thick jammy sauce, stirring every now and again to prevent it catching. You should still have plenty of whole blueberries visible. Take this off the heat and set aside while you make the meringue topping.

Whisk the whites until stiff but not dry, then add half the sugar, a spoonful at a time, whisking as you do so. Fold in the remaining sugar with a metal spoon. Pour and scrape the cooked blueberries onto your set custard base, spreading evenly. Then dollop over the meringue topping, making sure you seal the edges well so that no dark syrup bubbles up and seeps out. Make peaks with the back of a spoon, sprinkle with a little sugar, and put back in the oven for a further 20 minutes or until the meringue is burnished and crisp. Underneath, however, it will still be desirably yielding.

Serves 6-8.