British Yorkshire Pudding Day 7 February 2016

 February 2016 British Yorkshire Pudding Day
7 February 2016
British Yorkshire Pudding Day
British Yorkshire Pudding Day
The first Sunday in February is designated British Yorkshire Pudding Day.
The Yorkshire pudding was traditionally made in a large tin, rather than the individual puddings
that we are familiar with today. Often it was served before the main meal - which helped to fill
hungry mouths so less meat needed to be served - particularly during hard times!
Yorkshire Pudding History
It is thought that the traditional Yorkshire Pudding first got its name in 1747, when Hannah
Glasse wrote a cookery book called "The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Simple", which
included the Yorkshire Pudding recipe; although no-one really knows how far back the original
recipe goes, it is safe to say that some form of "batter" or "dripping" pudding, as it was
previously named, has been cooked for centuries.
Yorkshire Pudding Ingredients:
The main ingredients for Yorkshire Pudding batter are, Eggs, Milk and Plain Flour; using lard
instead of oil usually makes them tastier; due to experimentation Yorkshire Puddings now
come in many varieties, like Toad in the Hole, also known as "The Poor Man's Roast"; this is
where sausages are placed in the batter before it goes into the oven to bake; you can also add
small pieces of bacon and herbs such as freshly chopped sage or thyme.
A popular batter mix is a one-third cup of milk and a one-third cup of flour per egg.
Cooking Yorkshire Puddings
When cooking Yorkshire Puddings there are basically five things you have to remember:
1 - Never, ever, use self-raising flour, or any kind of raising agent or baking powder; doing so
will achieve flat, soggy puddings.
2 - Make sure the batter is of the right consistency, a little thicker than un-whipped double
cream, and as smooth as possible.
3 - Make sure you have about 3mm (1/8 inch) of very hot fat in the bottom of the tin, as the fat
begins to smoke, add the batter.
4 - Never, ever, open the oven door for the first 10 minutes of cooking time and after that, only
enough to have a peek at what's happening, if you really have to, the aim is to allow the
puddings to rise and go brown without them collapsing.
5 - Enjoy them, with a thick gravy.
A Basic Yorkshire Pudding Recipe
You will need 1 large Tray or 2 four hole Yorkshire Pudding tins and the following Ingredients:
2 medium, to large, Eggs
Approx 180ml (6fl.oz) of Milk.
100g (4oz) of Plain Flour
½ level teaspoon of Salt & if wanted spicy ½ level teaspoon of Pepper
1 teaspoon dried Rosemary, Sage or Thyme - finely chopped.
Up to quarter of a pound of Pure Lard; don't worry you won’t use it all.
Instructions
1 - Preheat the oven to 220C, 425F, or Gas Mark 7; put enough lard in the Tray or tins, to
cover the base to a depth of approx. 3mm (1/8 inch) and place in the oven to get very hot.
2 - Break the Eggs into a measuring jug, add enough Milk to make it up to 300ml (10fl.oz) and
whisk together.
3 - Add the Flour, Salt/Pepper and Herbs and whisk until very smooth with no lumps.
4 - Carefully remove the Tray or Tins from the oven, making sure that the fat is very hot first
and then fill as follows:
a - For a large Tray, pour the batter into the centre of the tin, filling it up until it is about 2/3rds
full. until is is about 2/3rds full.
b - For the 4 hole tins, pour the batter into the centre of the holes, filling them up until they are
about 2/3rds full.
5 - Return the Tray, or Tins, to the hot oven as soon as possible. you do not want the lard to
cool down, bake them until the Yorkshire Pudding(s) has/have risen and turned golden brown.
a - For the large Tray this could take 30-40 minutes.
b - For the 4 hole tins this could take 20-25 minutes.
Serve hot with your Sunday roast and enjoy; do not forget to have some hot thick gravy ready.
Don’t forget the Hendersons.
Description and Recipe provided by David Williamson.South Elmsall, Pontefract. West Yorkshire Introduction from www.national-­‐awareness-­‐days.com/british-­‐
yorkshire-­‐pudding-­‐day.html