A Recipe for Traditional Yorkshire Pudding
How to Make the Perfect Accompaniment to a Roast
Oct 29, 2008
A traditional Yorkshire Pudding should be light, crisp and golden in colour, with a darker brown edge. The inside of the delicacy should be fluffy and soft. While hundreds of puddings are consumed every week with the traditional Sunday dinner, it is surprising how many people have difficulties creating the perfect Yorkshire.
Yorkshire Pudding was originally used as a cheap and filling first course for people who could not afford much meat. When the meat was cooked on a spit, the Pudding batter was put underneath to catch the meat juices.
Now the dish is almost always served with a roast meat as a main course to form part of a traditional English meal. It can be served on its own filled with gravy, functioning as an edible bowl. Yorkshire Pudding is popular with visitors to the region who are looking for traditional English fare, and it ranks alongside fish and chips as a well-known and much loved item of English cuisine.
Making the Perfect Yorkshire Pudding Bed
The following recipe and tips provide a foolproof method for producing a perfect pudding, every time.
Ingredients:
- Vegetable oil
- 290ml/½ pint milk
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 255g/9oz plain flour, sifted
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method:
- Preheat two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large roasting tray, at 220c (Gas mark seven). This is the most critical part of making a great Yorkshire, as if the temperature is not high enough, the ingredients won’t rise and this results in a soggy and heavy pudding.
- Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, making sure that enough air is beaten into the mixture. The air is also important as it leaves the pudding fluffy and light on the inside.
- Leave the mixture to stand for twenty minutes to half an hour.
- When the oil is sufficiently hot in the oven that it sizzles and spits, pour the pudding mixture into the tray. The mixture should immediately start to spread and solidify as it comes into contact with the hot fat.
- Cook the pudding for twenty minutes, or until it has risen up to the edges of the tray.
- Remove the pudding from the tin and serve with a traditional roast dinner.
Other Serving Methods
In Yorkshire, puddings are eaten cold for breakfast with a yeast-based spread such as Marmite. It is also consumed as a desert with jam. The simplicity of the recipe to produce the puddings mean it can be a versatile and ever-popular accompaniment to stews, casseroles and broths as well as roast dinners.
Try adding sausages to make a traditional ‘Toad in the Hole’, or experimenting with different herbs and seasonings to make a customised Yorkshire Pudding .
