John Torode's apple and blackberry crumble with custard

Let’s get ready to crumble… John’s in the kitchen celebrating one of our most-loved puddings - the crumble! After one previously reduced him to tears of joy on Masterchef, he’s using the best British seasonal fruits of the moment - Bramley apples and blackberries from the hedgerows.

John says: Scrump some Bramley apples, and loot some plump blackberries bobbing in the hedgerows, take them home and try this as a grand finale to a traditional English roast. Serve it with my custard - This is the very first recipe I ever learnt in a professional kitchen and I think it is the best.

Apple and blackberry crumble and my custard

Ingredients

1 Kg Bramley apples1 Kg Granny Smiths500g blackberries100g vanilla sugar20mls apple juice20mls Calvados

For the topping:

300grs plain flour220g salted butter100grs granulated sugar ( not caster sugar)2 teaspoons ground ginger

My custard

Makes 1.2 litres - you can half the recipe but it always goes when I make it! (You need a saucepan, a mixing bowl and a whisk)

1ltr milk1 vanilla bean, split8 eggs120g caster sugar40 flour40 cornflour

Method

For the Apple and Blackberry crumble:

Peel and core the apples, cut into wedges and place in to a large pan with the vanilla sugar, the calvados and apple juice.

Bring to the boil slowly, stirring only a little so the apples keep most of their shape. The bramleys will break up, after about about 8 minutes, take from the heat and fold in the blackberries

While the fruit is bubbling, sift the flour with a pinch of salt into a bowl and rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. At this stage mix the granulated sugar.

Place the soft fruit in an earthenware dish and top with the crumble mixture and bake in a preheated oven 200’c/ 400’F/gas mark 6 until hot and golden brown. This usually takes 35-45 minutes.

It is essential that you adapt this dish to how you might know and fondly remember it – if you like cinnamon or nutmeg, add it ground at the rubbing in stage. If you are an oaty person, mix in a couple of handfuls when you add in the sugar to the topping mix. But however you chose to serve it, just make certain that there is a huge jug full of rich cream or lashings of custard to wash it all down with.

For the custard:

Pour the milk into the saucepan, scrape the vanilla and pop the whole lot in, place onto the stove and warm.

Break the eggs into the mixing bowl and add the sugar.

Whisk the mix until creamy and white. Add the flour and the corn flour to the mix and whisk it really well.

When the milk is about to boil, pour it over the top of the egg mix and whisk well. Take out the vanilla pod and dry it for another day.

Pour the mix back into the saucepan and place over the heat, using a wooden spoon, stir it continuously and do not boil. It will thicken and become a really sweet, thick custard. Give it a taste and if it still tastes floury then it needs to be cooked some more.