Preheat the
oven to 400F, Gas 6. Place the gooseberries in a pan with the caster
sugar. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, until the
gooseberries are just tender. Tip into a ovenproof dish. To make the
crumble, place the oats, flour, and oil in a bowl and stir with a
fork until evenly mixed. Stir in the demerara sugar and walnuts, then
spread evenly over the gooseberries. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until
golden and bubbling. Serve hot with yogurt, or custard made with skimmed
milk.
The best
cooking gooseberries are the early small, firm green ones. If you can't
find fresh gooseberries, use either rhubarb or not too sweet plums
instead. Pecan nuts, almonds or hazelnuts could be substituted for the
walnuts, if you prefer. Gooseberries are perfect for traditional family
puddings like this one. When they are out of season, other fruits such
as apple, plums, or rhubarb could be used instead.
