Method

• 1.
  Preheat oven to 160°C. Butter a 2-litre baking dish. Combine the raisins and the port in a small bowl and leave to macerate for 4-5 minutes.
• 2.
  Place cream and vanilla pod and seeds in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to just below boiling point, then set aside to infuse while you prepare the custard.
• 3.
  Place egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk with a balloon whisk until combined. Remove and discard vanilla pod from the cream, then pour the hot cream over the cold egg mixture, whisking to combine.
• 4.
  Spread the bread with butter, then halve diagonally. Layer one-third of bread in the dish, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with one-third of the raisins and ladle over just enough of the custard to cover. Leave to soak for 20 minutes, then repeat with the remaining bread and custard mixture twice more. Soak for a further 2 hours.

• 5.
  Place the dish in a baking pan. Fill the pan with enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake for 45-55 minutes until golden and just set. If top is browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil. Dust pudding with icing sugar and serve with thick cream.