The Great Yorkshire Pudding Debate Continues…

We have published a large number of articles concerning, “what makes the best Yorkshire pudding”. We have our own way of making the traditional Yorkshire Pudding, based on the Hairy Biker’s recipe. Being ‘Geordies’, we think we know a thing or two about the Yorkshire Pudding. They come up perfect every time without fail – providing all the conditions are right. The most important being the oven temperature. Here in Spain, most of the ovens, especially if you live in the countryside, are gas (butane) ovens and have difficulty in maintaining the 240-250C – 425F degrees that are needed to give the Yorkshire puddings their initial kick-start. Propane is much more efficient and electric ovens better still. When we have a dinner party, or Sunday Roast, we actually use the microwave, set to convection to make the Yorkshires. The microwave can maintain 240 degrees C accurately.

So who makes the best Yorkshire Pudding? Try these three recipes. The first is from Gary Rhodes, then we have, Delia Smith, the Hairy Bikers themselves and Jamie Oliver with his Toad in the Hole twist – but the batter mix is the same for his Yorkshire Pudding. Try them all, and let us know which you think is the best.

Gary Rhodes Recipe for Yorkshire Pudding

Part of probably the most classic and renowned of all Great British dishes – roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Why Yorkshire? Probably because it was a thrifty cook in the north of England who originally devised a way of utilizing the fat that dripped into a pan under the spit-roasting meat. A batter pudding collecting all of the flavours of the beef fat and juices was a perfect answer. Thus, the Yorkshire Pudding was born.

The original Yorkshire Pudding would have been 2-3 cm (3/4-1 1/2 in) thick, and was turned during its cooking time to give you a crispy topping and base, with the rich pudding inside. It’s often still cooked like this today.

The Yorkshire pudding was then cut into squares and served as a course before the roast, with lots of gravy poured over. (The idea was that it might fill you up a bit, so that the roast beef would go round further.) These days Yorkshire tends to be lighter, crisper and quite often cooked in individual moulded trays. They are then served, usually two a portion – but most people will eat even more — with the beef, not as a separate course.

The recipe I’m giving here will give you a well risen, crisp pudding. It can be cooked as one thick pudding, but it will need to be turned over halfway through its cooking time. This will also only really work if baking in a roasting tin. Another classic recipe using this batter is, of course, Toad in the Hole. There the batter has been reduced to accommodate the quantity required.

You’ll notice I’ve included an egg white in this recipe, which gives the batter even more of a lift, for a lighter, crisper finish.

225 g (8 oz) plain flour
Pinch of salt
3 eggs
1 egg white (optional)
300-450 ml (1/2-3/4 pint) milk
Oil, lard or dripping, for cooking

Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7. The quantity will fill 10-12 10 cm (4 in) individual tins, approximately two 12-pudding-mould trays or 1 medium roasting tin, approximately 20x 25 cm (8 x 10 in). Muffin tins can also be used for even deeper individual puddings.

The batter can be made and used immediately, but I do recommend at least 1/2-1 hour of resting time. For absolute perfection I usually rest it, refrigerated, for 24 hours and then re•whisk just before baking. Any resting time relaxes the batter, creating a different consistency.

Sift the flour with the salt. Add the eggs and egg white, if using. Whisk in 300 ml (1/2 pint) of the milk. This will give you a thick batter that works very well. To check for the perfect consistency, simply lift a spoon in and out. The Yorkshire pudding batter should hold and coat the back of a spoon. If it seems to have congealed after resting, then simply add more of the remaining milk until that consistency is found. The batter is now ready to cook. Oil or grease your chosen tin(s) fairly generously. These can then be heated in the oven until almost smoking. Now it’s time to add the batter. For individual tins or mould trays, fill each to almost full. For the medium roasting tray, just add all of the batter. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes (individuals and mould trays). An extra 5-10 minutes may still be needed for a crispy finish. A roasting tray will take 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Hairy Bikers Recipe

Yorkshire pudding

4 heaped tbsp of plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
275ml full fat milk
2-3 tbsp vegetable oil, such as sunflower, or a blob of goose fat

To make the Yorkshire pudding, Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/ Gas 7. Sieve the flour with the salt into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Gradually work in the beaten eggs, then whisk in the milk — the consistency should be like single cream. Leave the batter to stand for at least an hour. You’ll need some Yorkshire pudding tins, either individual ones or one big tin.

Put the oil or goose fat into your Yorkshire pudding tin and put it in the oven for at least 5 minutes, until it’s smoking hot. Give the batter a stir, pour it into the tin and watch it sizzlel. Quickly put the tin into the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until the pudding has risen to golden-brown perfection – for individual puds, cook for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile cook the sausages in a frying pan over a medium heat for 20-25 minutes.

Delia Smiths Recipe for Yorkshire Pudding

The best container I’ve come across for Yorkshire pudding is a cast-iron enamelled gratin dish which fits this recipe perfectly, or if I want to feed eight people I make double the mixture and use two dishes. Alternatively, an 11×7 inch (28 X 18 cm) solid roasting tin will do.

3 oz plain Hour (75 g)
1 egg
3 fl oz milk (75 ml)
2 fl oz water (55 ml)
salt and freshly milled pepper
2 tablespoons beef dripping (for the roasting tin)

To make the batter, sift the Hour into a bowl, make a well in the centre, break an egg into it and beat it, gradually incorporating the flour, milk, water, and seasoning (an electric hand-whisk will do this in
seconds). You don’t have to leave batter to stand, so make it when you’re ready.

About 15 minutes before the beef is due to come out of the oven, increase the heat to gas mark 7, 425°F (220°C), and place the gratin dish or roasting tin on a baking sheet on a free shelf, adding the dripping.

After 15 minutes remove the meat and leave on one side to rest, then place the pudding tin over direct heat while you pour the batter into the sizzling hot fat. Then return the tin to the baking sheet on the highest shelf (or second highest, if you have roast potatoes on that one). The pudding will take about 25-30 minutes to rise and become crisp and golden. Serve as soon as possible, as it loses its crunchiness if it has to wait around too long.

Jamie Oliver’s Recipe for Yorkshire Pudding

Toad in the Hole

sunflower oil
8 large good—quality sausages
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 large red onions, peeled and sliced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
2 knobs of butter
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 level tablespoon good—quality vegetable stock powder or 1 vegetable stock cube

For the Yorkshire Pudding batter

285ml/1/2 pint milk
115g/4oz plain flour
a pinch of salt
3 eggs

Mix the batter ingredients together, and put to one side. I like the batter to go huge so the key thing is to have an appropriately-sized baking tin — the thinner the better – as we need to get the oil smoking hot.

Put 1cm/just under 1/2 inch of sunflower oil into a baking tin, then place this on the middle shelf of your oven at its highest setting (240—250°C/475°F/gas 9). Place a larger tray underneath it to catch any oil that overflows from the tin while cooking. When the oil is very hot, add your sausages. Keep your eye on them and allow them to colour until lightly golden.

At this point, take the tin out of the oven, being very careful, and pour your batter over the sausages. Throw a couple of sprigs of rosemary into the batter. It will bubble and possibly even spit a little, so carefully put the tin back in the oven, and close the door. Don’t open it for at least 20 minutes, as Yorkshire puddings can be a bit temperamental when rising. Remove from the oven when golden and crisp.

For the onion gravy, simply fry off your onions and garlic in the butter on a medium heat for about 5 minutes until they go sweet and translucent. You could add a little thyme or rosemary if you like. Add the balsamic vinegar and allow it to cook down by half. At this point, I do cheat a little and add a stock cube or powder. You can get some good ones in the supermarkets now that aren’t full of rubbish. Sprinkle this in and add a little water. Allow to simmer and you’ll have a really tasty onion gravy. Serve at the table with your Toad in the hole, mashed potatoes, greens and baked beans or maybe a green salad if you’re feeling a little guilty!

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