Yorkshire Puddings
Yorkshire puddings are a firm favourite in any roast dinner, but can also be used for toad in the hole. They are easy to make but tricky to get right, so here is my guide.
Ingredients
Makes 6:
40g plain flour (see Flour)
1 large egg
50ml milk
Oil/duck fat/goose fat
Makes 12:
80g plain flour (see Flour)
2 large eggs
100ml milk
Oil/duck fat/goose fat
Method
In a bowl add the egg and flour and with a hand whisk, mix the two together until combined and you have a thick paste. If it becomes too much like a dough add some of the milk and keep whisking.
Add the milk, a little at a time, whisking each time until you get a runny batter.
In a muffin tray (I find a deep muffin tray far better than a shallow cake tray, see Bakeware), put a very small amount of oil or fat into each section (6 or 12 depending on quantity made). Place the tray into the oven at 220oC or 200oC Fan for 5-10minutes. You need the fat to get really hot.
When the fat is really hot, take the tray out the oven and pour your mixture into each of the sections of the tray, usually make each one about 1/3 of the tin height and return to the oven. Do this as quickly as you can so the fat doesn’t cool down; you want to pour the mixture in one go if you can, use a ladle if this is easier for you.
Cook for about 10 minutes (they should be rising and about to turn brown) and then turn the oven down to 200oC or 180oC Fan and cook for another 15 minutes until nice and brown and crisp. If you can avoid opening the oven for the first 15minutes.
Hints and Tips
Yorkshire Puddings and bakeware
Be careful on your choice of muffin tin, particularly non-stick, as they can begin to degrade with high temperatures and eventually you will start finding black bits of coating in your Yorkshire puddings. See Bakeware, I use an Anolon Advanced 12 Cup Muffin Tin.
Yorkshire Puddings and Fat vs Oil
I use duck or goose fat in mine, I find it gives a slightly less greasy finish to the Yorkshire pudding, but oil works well too.
Yorkshire Puddings timing with a roast dinner
If you are making them as part of a roast dinner, I usually put them in the oven soon as the meat is cooked and its resting on the site as the cooking and resting time are fairly similar. That way they are nice and fresh and you can use the same oven as the meat (which is usually a bit cooler).
Reducing waste with Yorkshire Puddings
Yorkshire puddings can be frozen and reheated quite effectively. Also if you make them in advance, you can return them to the oven for 5-10minutes at 200oC or 180oC Fan and they will crisp up nicely again as they can go a bit soft otherwise.