Pesada de nance

Ingredients

The fruit

• 1 kgnance
• ripe and yellow
• or 800 ml nance pulp
• 500 mlwater

The pudding

• 250 gsugar
• or panela, grated
• 80 gcornflour
• a pinch of salt
• 1 stickcinnamon
• a strip of lime peel

Sometimes added

• a little milk
• or coconut milk
• a pinch of ground clove

To set

• a shallow dish
• or individual bowls
• left to cool

Directions

1. Wash all of the nance thoroughly. Wash it in several changes of water. Discard any damaged or mouldy fruit. Put the nance in a pot with water. Bring the whole pot right up to a boil.
2. Let it simmer for about fifteen minutes. The water takes on the colour and flavour. Press the pulp through with a spoon. Pressing it through takes real work. Discard the stones and the skins. Check for any stone fragments.
3. Return the strained pulp to the pot. Add the sugar and the salt to it. Add the cinnamon and lime peel. It stops it from tasting flat. Put the cornflour into a bowl. Add a little cold water to it. Whisk it into a smooth slurry.
4. Use cold water rather than hot. Hot water cooks the starch instantly. Whisk it properly rather than briefly. It should pour like thin cream. Break any lumps against the bowl. Warm the fruit pulp through gently. Pour the slurry in while whisking. Pour it in a thin steady stream.
5. Whisk the whole time it goes in. That is exactly what prevents lumps. Take your proper time over the pour. Bring it right up to a gentle boil. Stir it constantly throughout. Constant stirring keeps it smooth. Keep stirring right through it.
6. Let it cook for five more minutes. Cornflour needs cooking to lose its taste. Keep stirring it right throughout. Thick hot puree spits as it bubbles. Keep the heat low once it thickens. Stand back and use a long spoon. Judging it takes a careful look. Stir in a little milk near the end. Take them both out before pouring.
7. Pour it into a shallow wide dish. Pour it while it is still hot. Let it cool to room temperature. It sets firm as it cools down. Spoon it out or cut it into squares. A firm set can be cut into squares. Pour off any liquid before serving.

Technique

• Cornflour must be mixed with cold water into a smooth slurry before it goes in — hot water cooks the starch instantly and gives lumps that never disperse. Pour that slurry into the warm fruit in a thin steady stream while whisking, and keep stirring constantly as it comes to the boil, since it thickens quite suddenly around boiling point and catches on the bottom the moment you stop.
• Cook it a further five minutes after it thickens, since undercooked cornflour tastes chalky and raw. Thick hot puree spits as it bubbles and those spits are genuinely hot, so keep the heat low once it thickens, stand back and use a long spoon.
• Nance has a strong smell often described as cheesy or pungent, and it genuinely divides opinion — many people find it off-putting and others love it, which the atlas says rather than pretending otherwise. Cooking mellows it considerably and the sugar balances it, so the pudding is far milder than the raw fruit.

Substitutions

• Ready-made nance pulp stands in for whole fruit and skips the sieving.
• A little milk or coconut milk near the end makes it richer and creamier; many versions have neither and it is a matter of household habit.

Variations

• Press the cooked fruit through a sieve to separate flesh from the hard stones, scraping the underside where a lot of pulp clings, and check for stone fragments — one would break a tooth.
• Take the cinnamon stick and lime peel out before pouring, since they have given their flavour and turn bitter if left in.
• It sets as it cools over an hour or two and firmer still when chilled; a firm set can be cut into squares and a softer one spooned out, and both are done in Panama.

History

Nance ripens in the Panamanian rainy season and its pungent fruit is boiled down into this rustic pudding.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pesada de nance?

Pesada de nance is a dessert from Panama: nance fruit cooked with sugar and cornstarch into a set golden pudding. Nance ripens in the Panamanian rainy season and its pungent fruit is boiled down into this rustic pudding.

How long does Pesada de nance take to make?

Pesada de nance takes 20 minutes of preparation and 35 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 8. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Pesada de nance?

Yes, within limits. Ready-made nance pulp stands in for whole fruit and skips the sieving. A little milk or coconut milk near the end makes it richer and creamier; many versions have neither and it is a matter of household habit.

What is the most important thing to get right in Pesada de nance?

Wash all of the nance thoroughly. Wash it in several changes of water. Discard any damaged or mouldy fruit. Put the nance in a pot with water. Bring the whole pot right up to a boil.