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Yorkshire Pudding - How do you eat yours?

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 18 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

Ranked #478 in Food, #10693 overall

Rated G. (Control what you see)

Yorkshire Pudding is not a pudding at all. It's a plain batter pudding served with the savoury part of a meal.

 

It is thought to originate, as its name suggests, from Yorkshire in the North of England.

It is similar to Popovers, but it's not meant to rise as high or be as airy.

Like all things simple and homey, though, Yorkshire Pudding is the subject of much debate. People like it the way they like it.

Although originating in Yorkshire these batter puddings are popular all over the country, indeed the world. There are few places that you can go that you will not find the legendary 'Traditional British Sunday Dinner' or indeed lunch on offer.

Roast beef and Yorkshire Pudding is perhaps one of the most famous of British meals, however many people in the UK eat Yorkshire pudding with any roast meat or chicken, and it has always been a firm favourite as part of the "Sunday Roast Dinner".

Traditional Roast Dinner 

Years ago, when the meat was cooked on a spit, the batter for Yorkshire Pudding was put underneath and the fat and meat juice dripped onto the batter. If there wasn't enough meat to go around the children would get Yorkshire pudding and gravy as their main meal.

Now the dish is most known for being served with a roast beef main course to form part of a 'traditional roast dinner'.

Here in Yorkshire we often serve it on its own filled with onion gravy so that it acts as a form of edible soup bowl. This practice probably originated with people who could not afford crockery either.

How they should be... 

The perfect Yorkshire Pudding should be crisp, light and airy, and be just a touch soft, but not soggy, inside.

The Yorkshire Pudding batter is made from eggs, milk and flour, and traditionally baked in beef dripping.

Yorkshire Puddings can be cooked as individual puddings, or as one large one that is cut up into pieces and served. Some people prefer the individual ones, saying they puff up and brown more nicely. They also like the cavity that forms in the middle of each, letting it act as a bowl to hold lots of gravy.

Memories 

Many people in Yorkshire and the North of England eat the pudding before the main meal, as a starter, and regard the custom of eating it with the main meal as "odd" and think it's a southern English habit.

I remember that my Grandmother used to make the most fantastic Yorkshire puddings.
Her recipe was in her head, she never measured ingredients, just seemed to have a sense of the right amounts.
Her Yorkshire puddings always turned out just right, perfectly risen, crispy around the edges and leaving a hollow to collect the gravy in and always that lovely golden colour that we associate with Yorkshire puddings.
If she was alive today I believe she would be horrified that you can now buy ready made mixes for the batter, or frozen, fully-cooked individual puddings that just need heating.

I have to say that the 'convenience' puddings are not nearly as good as the 'real thing'especially my Grandmothers' which were cooked in the range at the side of the coal fire while the vegetables cooked in a pan on top of the coals... we have it too easy these days.

Rather surprisingly my Grandmother would also serve Yorkshire puddings when they had gone cold, after the meal. The leftover Yorkshire Puddings were sometimes served as a dessert, with milk and sugar, jam or treacle.

What kind of fat should I use?

Yorkshire Pudding is usually cooked in beef dripping, or lard, which you can buy in blocks in shops in the UK. As an alternative, oil may be used. Butter is not a good substitute for dripping as it can't stand the high heat needed to cook the Yorkshire pudding, it will burn on you.

Pudding Facts 

  • Yorkshire Pudding's predecessor, Dripping or Batter Pudding has been cooked for centuries in Britain although originally they were flatter than today's versions.


  • The first known Yorkshire Pudding Recipe was published in 1737 in 'The Whole Duty Of A Woman' and named 'A Dripping Pudding'. Eight years later a lady named Hannah Glasse published it in her Art of Cookery as Yorkshire Pudding.


  • Traditionally Yorkshire puddings were a filler dish served with onion gravy before the main roast course in households that could not afford a lot of meat.


  • A popular addition to menus in recent years in restaurants, cafes and bars is a king size or giant Yorkshire pudding filled with onion gravy or different meat, vegetable and gravy concoctions. This dish is served as a separate course emulating the original filler course.


  • Yorkshire pudding can be cooked in a large flat tray, and cut into slices, which is called a bed of Yorkshire pudding, otherwise they can be served as small individual bun-sized puddings. Either way, the perfect pudding has a big dip in the middle, where the gravy is poured in, and the edges rise up around the edge of the dish into a crisp crust.

Tins to cook your Yorkshire pudding in... 

If you decide that you would rather make your own Yorkshire puddings you can use muffin tins for cooking the individual puddings, or you can buy special Yorkshire Pudding tins that have much shallower, flatter cups in them.
You need to buy the best tins that you can afford so that they dont buckle with the high temperatures needed to cook the puddings.
Wilton Aluminum 6-Cup Jumbo Muffin Pan

Wilton Aluminum 6-Cup Jumbo Muffin Pan

Amazon Price: $18.99 (as of 10/13/2008)

Nordic Ware English Popover Pan

Nordic Ware English Popover Pan

Amazon Price: $32.00 (as of 10/13/2008)

Range Kleen 6 Cup Muffin Pan

Range Kleen 6 Cup Muffin Pan

Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 10/13/2008)

Range Kleen 12 Cup Muffin Pan

Range Kleen 12 Cup Muffin Pan

Amazon Price: $9.83 (as of 10/13/2008)

Kaiser Bakeware Tinplate 8-1/2-by-4-1/2-by-2-1/2-Inch Loaf Pan

Kaiser Bakeware Tinplate 8-1/2-by-4-1/2-by-2-1/2-Inch Loaf Pan

Amazon Price: $19.38 (as of 10/13/2008)

Remember...

Never use self-raising flour, or any kind of baking powder, it turns out flat, soggy puddings.

The fat in the tins should be heated until it is smoking before the batter is added. If this isn't done, the Yorkshires won't rise or crisp. The batter should sizzle as you pour it into the hot fat.

Ready Mixed Batter 

If you dont want to make your own batter why not try one of these mixes instead.
Yorkshire Pudding Mix 142g
Yorkshire Pudding Mix 142...
Goldenfry Yorkshire Pudding Mix 5oz
Goldenfry Yorkshire Puddi...
Greens Batter Mix, 4.40-Ounce Packages (Pack of 12)
Greens Batter Mix, 4.40-O...

Yorkshire Pudding Recipe 

Just Google 'Yorkshire pudding recipe' and you will get thousands of results, however, I have gone with a recipe from Delia Smith, a very respected British cook who has written numerous books and made many TV programs, because I have found her recipes very easy to follow and whenever I have made one of her recipes the end result has always turned out as it should.

The recipe uses large roasting tins, which the meat was cooking in, but muffin tins can be used instead to make the smaller sized puddings.

The following is taken from Delia Online. It can also be found in Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course, Delia Smith's Complete Illustrated Cookery Course and Delia Smith's Christmas. It has also appeared in Sainsbury's Magazine (Nov 1993).

A classic Yorkshire pudding is not difficult to make provided you have the right recipe, the right size tin and the right oven temperature. I find a good solid roasting tin 11 x 7 inches (28 x 18 cm) makes a perfect pud for four people. So, for eight, I double the ingredients and use two tins.

Ingredients (to serve 4)
3 oz (75 g) plain flour
1 egg
3 fl oz (75 ml) milk
2 fl oz (55 ml) water
2 tablespoons beef dripping
salt and freshly milled black pepper


Make up the batter by sifting the flour into a bowl and making a well in the centre. Break the egg into it and beat, gradually incorporating the flour, and then beat in the milk, 2 fl oz (50 ml) water and seasoning (an electric hand whisk will do this in seconds). There is no need to leave the batter to stand, so make it when you're ready to cook the pudding.
About 15 minutes before the beef is due to come out of the oven, increase the heat to gas mark 7, 425°F (220°C), add the dripping to the roasting tin and place that on a baking sheet on a free shelf. After 15 minutes remove the meat, then place the tin over direct heat while you pour the batter into the sizzling hot fat. Return the tin to the baking sheet on the highest shelf (or, if you have roast potatoes on that one, the second highest). The pudding will take 25-30 minutes to rise and become crisp and golden. Serve as soon as possible: if it has to wait around too long it loses its crunchiness.

Gordon Ramsay teaches Martine McCutcheon how to make Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding 

Cooking with Martine

Gordon Ramsay teaches Martine McCutcheon to make Roast Beef, Potatoes & Yorkshire Pudding a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

Runtime: 6:04
9460 views
0 Comments:

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Pudding fun... 

On Sunday 11th June 2000 the first Great Yorkshire Pudding Boat Race was held in Brawby in North Yorkshire. The organiser Simon Thackray arranged for 6 three foot in diameter Yorkshire puddings to be baked coated with yacht varnish. Each 'boat' used up 50 eggs.

Yorkshire Pudding Day!

The first British Yorkshire Pudding day was on February 3rd 2008 and in future the celebrations will be on the first Sunday of every February.

Yorkshire pudding desserts.... 

Try one...

Yorkshire Pudding is mentioned in Harry Potter books as the traditional dessert of England.
Have you got a favourite Yorkshire Pudding Dessert? Be sure to vote for it or add it to the list..

#1

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Hot yorkshire pudding with raspberry sauce

Traditional Yorkshire puddings take on a delightful new guise when Alan Coxon serves them with a sweet raspberry sauce.0 points

#2

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Banana-Yorkshire Puddings With Maple Syrup

Banana-Yorkshire Puddings With Maple Syrup0 points

#3

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Sweet Fruity Yorkshire Pudding

For breakfast this morning I was hunting around for something sweet with a possibly caramel component. I also wanted a pudding, so the idea of a fruit...0 points

#4

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Yorkshire Dessert Pudding

Dessert Recipes from our Family Cookbook.0 points

Yorkshire Pudding... How do you eat yours? 

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Marinadxb

Mmmm, a proper roast dinner. One of the few things I miss about home... delicious!

Posted September 23, 2008
lakeerieartists

Thanks for this lens. I always wanted to know what this was! Welcome to the Comfort Food Group.

Posted September 15, 2008
JMom

I've always wanted to make Yorkshire pudding but never had a chance to. Very informative lens. Thanks!

Posted August 22, 2008

TheInfamous7

Fantastic Stuff!! We brits are under represented here on Squidoo!! Splendid work on fighting our cause!! ;-) Top Marks

Posted August 18, 2008
Winter52

I'm married to a Brit so Yorkshire Puddings are quite common in our house. I'm the odd one out in our family. I love them dry while the rest of the family love them soggy with gravy. Come to think of it, we haven't had them in a while... must nudge hubby who is the resident Yorkshire Pudding baker?? in the family.

Just remembered a bit of trivia. He also used to make all the Yorkshires when he lived in England but the recipe would never work over here in Canada. He had to play around for a good couple of years before he found the right combination of ingredients. First few batches were pretty sad lol... 5 stars because I enjoyed every minute on your lens :)

Posted July 04, 2008
EverythingMouse

It has to be gravy ( vegetarian of course). My parents who are from Yorkshire tell me they used to have yorkshire pudding before a meal started. Not something I would try!

Posted July 03, 2008
debnet

I've lensrolled this to my Fish & Chips lens ;)

Posted June 30, 2008
N376

Soaked in gravy... though I've even eaten them with ice cream (without any trace of gravy though!).

Posted June 27, 2008
debnet

Oh how hungry for roast beef & yorkshires am I now??? When all my kids were at home, I used to make a huge one (which was frequently stodgy in the middle but they loved it) If any was left over, they'd have it with ice cream & chocolate sauce.
Lovely Lens!

Posted June 26, 2008
poddys

Very nice lens, you made my mouth water. 5 stars.

My Mum and Gran used to make large Yorkshire Puddings, using the dripping that came out of the roast. Of course in those days (50's/60's) we could afford a decent sized roast and it still came from the butchers shop.

Even today, a roast isn't a roast without Roast Potatoes and Yorkshire Pudding.

During the 1930's the family were so hard up that they used to eat Yorkshire Pudding with gravy on for the main course, and then more Yorkshire Pudding with Jam on for desert.

Posted June 24, 2008
 
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