Recipe: Yorkshire Pudding

This is one of those odd English creations, which originated as a way to fill tummies cheaply (i.e. without meat). It was always a favourite in my family, and now my husband is a firm convert. I'm always amazed as to how many people haven't heard of it. But no roast meal is complete with these little gems, drenched in gravy. I think that, traditionally, the pudding was served at the beginning of the meal, in order to fill the aforementioned tummies, but we like to eat it at the end, as a final treat. Here the version we make. You can make one big pudding, but we tend to make 12 individual ones in a sort of antique muffin pan. Here's what you need to know.

Make the batter at least 1/2 an hour before dinner - several hours is better. In a bowl, put 2-3 heaped tablespoons of flour, and a good pinch of salt. Mix with a spatula. Add 1-2 heaped tablespoons of milk powder and mix well (I have often made this without the milk powder when we'd run out, and it was fine. Just use some milk as well as water at the end). Add one egg, and mix to a smooth consistency. Then add a little water, and mix again until smooth. Keep adding a little water and mixing, until you have a kind of porridgey consistency. Then leave until you're ready to use it.

The key to good yorkshire pudding is hot oil/fat. Get the tray/dish you'll be baking it in, and put in just enough oil to line the bottom (the oil will expand when hot). Your oven should be at least 200 degrees celsius - you would have had your roast meat and veggies in there. Put the oil in for a good five minutes. Take it out, immediately put the mixture in (it may need a little stirring first, and perhaps a bit more water) and put in the oven. Bake until risen and gold brown - should be about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack for a few minutes, and then serve with lashings of gravy.

As you can see, this recipe is rather approximate - it's one of those things that you just fiddle with until you get it right. I think that you're only supposed to have yorkshire pudding with roast beef, but we like it so much that we have it with any roast - beef, lamb, even chicken.

Enjoy!