Dazz Switalla Flavour Secrets No.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz

I had a reminder the other day from a certain medical centre that I was entitled to a free flu shot, seeing as I was over 65!

As I was feeling old – but not that old – I took up the offer, after pointing out my real age.
There are, of course, a lot of ways to boost our immunity naturally – lemons are one of them. We have all probably had a hot lemon drink when we having a sore throat or other cold symptoms.
The tang of lemon, sweetened with honey or sugar, seems to relieve and revive. And, the acid-like qualities help marinate meats and fish; and balance dressings.
Fortunately for us, as the cold and flu season arrives so does plentiful supplies of lemons. I have just planted a lemonade tree and in the future will have a ready source on hand, which are not only essential for those gin and tonics but also for whipping up a quick and tasty pudding.
This week's recipe uses the juice and zest in a light and tangy lemon pudding, which is great to eat after a filling main meal.

Lemon pudding
Serves 4

Ingredients
Juice and fine zest of 4 lemons
¼ cup plain flour
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup castor sugar
3 large eggs, separated
1 cup plain yoghurt
Icing sugar for dusting

Method
Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius. Whisk together flour, salt and half a cup of sugar in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks, yoghurt, lemon zest and lemon juice. Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and mix to just combine.
Beat egg whites in another bowl with an electric beater until they hold soft peaks. Gradually add the remaining sugar a little at a time and continue beating until the whites hold stiff peaks. Turning the bowl upside down over your head is the traditional test to see if they are stiff.
Carefully fold half the egg whites into the batter. Then fold in the remaining egg whites until well incorporated. Pour the batter into a large two litre baking dish or individual oven dishes, which have been well-greased. Bake in a hot water bath (I use a large roasting tray filled half way with boiling water). Bake until golden, about 40-45 minutes, depending on the size of the container.
Dust with icing sugar and serve warm or at room temperature.