Caramel

• 120 g(4¼ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
• 700 ml(24 fl oz) milk
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 100 g(3½ oz) fine semolina
• 55 g(2 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F/Gas 3) and butter six 125 ml(4 fl oz/½ cup) ovenproof pots.

For the caramel, put the sugar and 2–3 teaspoons of water in a heavy-based non-stick pan over medium heat. Heat it up until the sugar starts to melt, then tilt the pan to swirl it around — don’t stir or the sugar will crystallize. Carry on heating and swirling a few times until all the sugar has melted and turned golden caramel brown. Pour about 1 tablespoon into the bottom of each pot, swirling the pot at the same time so that the caramel covers the bottom evenly.

Put the milk and cinnamon stick in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Just before it comes to the boil, whisk in the semolina in a thin steady stream so that no lumps form. Lower the heat and simmer, whisking all the time, for around 8 minutes, or until the milk has absorbed all the semolina. Stir in the sugar and vanilla and remove from the heat. Sit the saucepan in a sink of cold water for 15 minutes to cool it down a little.

Whip the egg lightly in a bowl and then whisk it into the semolina. Spoon over the caramel in the pots, smoothing the top with the back of your spoon. Put all the pots in a baking dish and then pour enough hot water into the dish to come halfway up the side of the pots. Carefully move to the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, until the puddings look set, golden and slightly puffed up. Take the pots out of the dish and leave them to cool for a bit.

Upturn the pots and turn the puddings out onto individual plates. If you sit the bottoms of the empty pots in boiling water for a few minutes you’ll be able to get more caramel out of them. The puddings are best served warm, with as much caramel as possible drizzled over them.