Yorkshire pudding

Yorkshire Pudding has one of the simplest recipes you will come across, with the possible exception of boiled egg!

But it is deceptively simple! Fortunately, the various ways the puddings can turn out, light and airy, thin and crisp, soggy, or solid, are all quite nice!

Yorkshire pudding is not a dessert, it is a first course.

Historically, they were used as a 'filler' first course to a lunch or dinner, often the Sunday Roast.

Meat was - and still is - very expensive in the North of England, while wages were low.

The Sunday roast had to last until the next Sunday!

"Yorkshire" as it is known colloquially is basically a batter dish (French for beat) and should be light and crispy.

A similar dish exists, and this is the batter pudding in Southern England, which is thick and solid.

The closest I have had to a recipe for the 'real thing' was 'popovers' in the US one time.

The batter is savoury, and was originally designed to be cooked in the dripping, fat dripping from the roast beef, cooking in the oven, on the rack above.

This gives it a great flavour, and, together with gravy made from the beef residues, and stock from the vegetables accompanying the roast, provides a delicious way to fill up before attacking the main course!

Of course no-one eats beef fat in these enlightened days (hamburgers anyone?) we have an alternative.

IN THIS SECTION -

yorkshire pudding intro(this page)
recipe
batter
cook 'em
toad in the hole