Recipes from professional Chef Tallyrand:

YORKSHIRE PUDDING RECIPE (HOW TO MAKE YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS)

The quest for the perfect . . . Yorkshire Pudding!
This week's column and recipe comes from a request from William J. It was for an area that many seem to have a problem with and an area that surprised, no, astounded me that we have not covered before now here at Hub-UK . . . Yorkshire puddings and how to cook them at home.

That quintessential of English side dishes for roast beef. Though if you are like my family; served with every Sunday roast whether its beef, pork, chicken or lamb (New Zealand or Welsh lamb of course! Where did this dish originate and why?

Yorkshire Pudding: The Where?
Well the name suggests of course Yorkshire, but other counties in the UK make claim to its origin also.

Yorkshire Pudding: Why?
I have always been told that originally it was not actually served with the roast beef, but before the meal itself, drenched in a rich gravy. Apparently, it was created to be served as a stomach filler. Times being hard and meat an expensive item in most working class family budgets, as such the traditional Sunday roast in the UK being quite an event and something to look forward to each week.

With a generous amount of beef flavoured gravy, the Yorkshire pudding not only tasted like beef, it had a texture similar to it and cheaply filled the stomach . . . meaning the small portion of beef actually served did not seem as meagre as it might have actually been. Any that were left over would be served for afternoon tea with jam, cream, etc and why not, they are just a form of 'cake' after all! For other ideas on Yorkshire puddings with a difference, see my Chef Notes after the recipe.

These days of course we serve it as an accompaniment to the roast beef, gravy, along with the traditional roast potatoes, vegetables, etc. Creamed horseradish of course also being a must.

Yorkshire Pudding: Understanding the complexities

What about these problems many people have making them . . . why do they not rise? Why do they fall flat? Should they be crisp or soft? The latter for me is a totally personal issue, some like them soft, some crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. When you lash them with a gravy does it make any real difference?

But to answer the main problems people have with them, rising and falling flat. One must think and understand about why and how this happens to answer it. They rise mainly because of the egg content in the mixture . . . NEVER add baking powder! For this rising to occur the mixture needs instant heat, this creates steam and they puff up and rise - so the oven, etc must all be pre-heated, a slow gentle heat or cold oven will not work.

They will fall flat if they are removed from the oven too soon. If they do not slightly crispen on the outside the structure of the egg and flour mixture does not fully 'dextrinise' meaning its structure will not hold its own weight . . . think of building a sky scraper out of wood, eventually it will buckle and collapse under its own weight.

Cooking times will always vary, as everyone's oven is slightly different and because we tend to open and close the door to remove the meat, the potatoes, etc. So the 12 minutes I have given here is approximate only, one will need to judge and modify accordingly.

Yorkshire Pudding: The secrets

• To get a good rise one must fill the mix with as much egg as possible using only a drizzle of milk. Unfortunately the recipe here then is not 'foolproof' in amounts, as I cannot guarantee the size of eggs that you use and they do differ in amount by as much as 20gm per egg, so it is best to adjust the flour rather than the egg. The trick is to pack the mixture with eggs!
• Use deep sided muffin trays and heat these trays up prior to use
• Put in a good measure of hot oil into each mould. If the oil is really hot, until it just starts to give of a slight haze but not quite smoking (approximately 180°C) the moment the batter is poured in, it will sizzle, begin to cook and rise at the sides immediately. This gives that 'hollowed' centre look that can be filled and will hold the gravy
• Do not worry about the oil content too much: if you want perfect 'Yorkies' you have to live with it and most of it will still be there when they are cooked and can be poured away for re-use when you remove the final, cooked product
• With experience one will be able to judge when they can be removed and not fall flat / deflate. If you notice that they are beginning to, pop them straight back in for a few more minutes, this allows the correct amount of hardening / crispening of the outer walls to develop and holds the shape and size

All very long winded I know, but so is the life of a professional chef or home cook who seeks perfection. I would be most interested to hear from you all on how you grt on when you try this recipe. So get those fingers tapping on the keyboard and please email me and let me know!

Yorkshire Pudding Recipe

Ingredients for Yorkshire Pudding

flour - cake or all purpose	2	cups / 250 grams / 8 3/4 ozs
eggs	4	pc
milk	2	tbs
salt		sq

How to make Yorkshire Pudding

1. Combine the egg and milk thoroughly with fork (do not whisk)
2. Add the enough of the flour and using a whisk combine to form a thick yet pourable batter; one that is nicely thick but can be easily poured from a jug. How thick is too thick, how thin is too thin is a matter of trial and error and will soon be become evident as you make a few batches
3. Add a little salt to taste
4. Place the muffin tray / moulds in the oven to pre-heat (180° - 200°C) for 15 minutes. The oil may also be added at this time and heated in the oven or may be heated separately and poured in. I find that putting in enough oil to 1/5th of the mould works best.
5. When both the moulds and oil are hot, pour in the batter, if it does not start to sizzle immediately, stop and continue to heat and try again
6. Place on the middle shelf and bake for approx.12 minutes until risen, golden brown and slightly crisp. A tray on the top shelf will help prevent them browning too much as this deflects the falling heated air particles (use this tip when baking cakes etc too!)
7. Remove from the oven and carefully (as they will be hot) remove from the tray and serve as soon as possible
8. Remember to pour away the fat while still warm to be re-used and pop the puddings in the oven if they seem to be starting to collapse after a minute or so
   

Chef's Tips for Yorkshire Pudding:

Try adding a little something to the mixture for a Yorkshire Pudding with a difference:

• Yorkshire Pudding with chopped parsley
• Yorkshire Pudding with chopped chives
• Yorkshire Pudding with chopped coriander
• Yorkshire Pudding with whole-seed mustard
• Yorkshire Pudding with turmeric
• Yorkshire Pudding with smoked paprika

I use Yorkshire Puddings not only for roast beef but with an addition as above as a basis for other dishes too. Maybe for a starter of a dinner party, with some smoked salmon, the centre filled with a pate, etc. Or using a larger mould and with turmeric, garam masala or nigella seeds, etc filled with a Indian butter chicken mixture

And you thought Yorkshire Puddings could only be used for roast beef!

Enjoy your Yorkshire Pudding and bon appetit . . . . .

Published 30 June 2003