Yorkshire Pudding Day 2 February 2014

Perfect sight on a Sunday!

Apparently tomorrow is National Yorkshire Pudding Day, I think there really is a day for everything, but this is a day I heartily approve of.

There's a multitude of recipes available both in cookery books and on the internet and from your nana or the lady down the road...here is my version. It's a variation on a recipe I've posted before, based on one by Jamie Oliver, but I find that I have the egg combination right now - to give a pudding which rises well, keeps nice and upright even as it cools, is crisp at the top and the right amount puddingy at the bottom and tastes great and not too eggy.

I have also found that getting the tin right is imperative and at Christmas I treated myself to this Circulon pan, which is so extremely non stick it makes fantastic puddings and it doesn't mind the high oven temperature.  

Also, I no longer waste the left over mix, or save it for pancakes, I make an additional batch of puddings and then freeze them. This works extremely well and you can pop them in the oven straight from frozen for just a few minutes to warm up, so easy if you fancy a mid week meal that a Yorkshire Pudding would just make special.

Reheated from the freezer

Yorkshire Puddings - makes at least 6 depending on your tin

40g plain flour

1 large egg

1 large egg white

100ml very cold milk

Pinch of salt

Weigh the flour into a bowl and add the egg and egg white, whisk vigorously into a thick paste. Gradually stir in the milk, season and set aside in a cool place or the fridge until you are ready.

Put a spoon of oil in each of the holes in your pudding tin, put the tin on a baking tray and heat in a high oven GM7/220C/425F.

When the oil is hot, remove the mix from the fridge give it a quick whisk, remove the pan from the oven carefully as it will be extremely hot, use an oven glove or dry tea towel. Pour some mixture into each of the holes, get them between a third and half full and put the pan straight back in the oven for about 20 minutes until they are mid brown in colour and well risen and the bottoms look done. Serve as soon as possible.

They are great with a Sunday roast, smashing with a casserole. try adding some dried herbs or chopped fresh herbs, or a little fried onion. You could add a partially cooked cocktail sausage into each one just before pouring in the mixture with out without a sprig of fresh time. Spice them up with some chili, colour them up with some saffron or turmeric and serve them with a tagine!

Or if you don't have a Sunday dinner planned try them hot from the oven with a dollop of jam or golden syrup or if you're really being indulgent some whipped cream or creme fraiche or chocolate sauce - we used to do this in the Girl Guides many moons ago.

The one tin approach, even better with sausages in for a tasty Toad in the Hole!