Yorkshire Pudding
Credit: Hugh Palmer
SERVES 8 – 10
Believed to date back to the 12th century, Yorkshire pudding may have originated in the kitchens of King Henry II, where drippings from roasting mutton were used to flavor baked batters. This technique, most likely Saxon in origin, resulted in a "pudding" rich with meat flavor, but much heavier than the popover-like dish preferred today
1 cup flour
3⁄4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1⁄2 cup beef drippings (see Roast Beef)
1. Sift flour together with salt into a medium bowl. Make a well in center and add eggs. Whisk in milk. Mix until smooth. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 450°. Pour beef drippings into a 10" × 12" baking pan. Heat in oven until smoking hot, 10 minutes. Pour batter into pan and bake, without opening oven door (to avoid collapsing pudding), until pudding has risen and is golden, 20 minutes. Serve immediately, offering a generous square with each piece of roast beef.
one important hint:
yorkshire pud must be served hot and fresh out of the oven, they don't even do well heated up - if allowed to get cold they just are hard & chewy. make them the last thing you do when making sunday lunch. also - they're great baked as individual servings, which you can do in a large sized muffin tin - i guess that's two hints!?
cheers - sam