February 3, 2010

• The Definitive Yorkshire Pudding

  Believe me, this is the real thing, passed on to me by my very own personal English mother.

  The most important thing to remember is that underneath it all, the Pud, while very simple and unassuming in its ingredients, is actually a sensitive soufflé. Yes. Therefore, once you have it in the oven, you shall tiptoe about and hope that it will make a big dome (or at least a series of little hills) for you to admire. If it doesn’t rise at all, it will still be tasty and edible, but not quite the same culinary triumph, of course.
  
  Also, do not believe anyone who claims they have made Yorkshire pudding in a bunch of little muffin shapes. Bah! Imposters.

  NEEDED:
  

  • blender
  • rubber spatula
  • 9×9 metal or glass pan

  INGREDIENTS:
  
  3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  1/2 tsp salt
  2 eggs, room temperature
  1 cup milk, room temperature
  3 tbsp hot fat
  
  INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
  2. Put 9×9 metal or glass pan in oven to preheat.
  3. Mix flour and salt together with a fork.
  4. Break both eggs into the blender and blend for 15 seconds.
  5. Add a third of the milk and all the dry ingredients to the blender. Blend for 1 minute.
  6. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and add remaining milk. Blend for 1 minute on high until totally smooth and a bit frothy.
  7. If your “hot fat” is butter, heat it in the microwave until you hear sizzling. If your “hot fat” is from your roasting pan under the beef (extra points!) then just make sure it’s hot.
  8. Remove hot pan from oven, add hot fat to empty hot pan and tip it around briefly.
  9. Pour batter into pan.
     
  10. Bake 20 to 30 minutes (remove before end if it starts to turn really dark all over).

  Extra family sekret tips from me to you:
  

  • Do not open or even touch oven if possible during cooking time.
  • Regard vision of splendor through window before it collapses at the end of cooking. Take pics, post here, in Facebook, &c.
    
  • Divide up by number of people eating.
    
  • Pieces will seem too small no matter how few of you there are.
  • Ignore the inevitable “he got more than me” squabbling and carrying on.
  • Pour copious amounts of your richest beef gravy on your piece.
  • Enter realm of bliss.

  You heard it from me. This is the best Yorkshire Pudding in the world. If it doesn’t rise properly, blame this on the altitude or the barometric pressure and offer to eat everyone else’s piece if they don’t like it. Works for me.

  • 7:18 pm
  • 8 Comments