R E C I P E S
Yorkshire Pudding
[Read Edward Behr’s article “Blowing Things Up with Eggs.”] In the days of roasting before a fire, Yorkshire pudding was cooked on the hearth, in a pan placed beneath the meat to catch the drippings. To brown both sides, it was cut in squares and turned. Only when cooks switched to baking the pudding in a very hot oven did it become the puffed-up version we know today. Yorkshire pudding is served not just with beef but other roasted meats. For fewer people, reduce the amounts below and use a smaller pan.By Edward Behr
drippings from the roasting pan
200 gr (1½ cups) flour
5 gr (¾ teaspoon) salt
415 ml (1¾ cups) milk, at room temperature
3 large eggs (a total of about 175 gr in the shell), at room temperature
When the roast comes out of the oven and is put on a warm platter to rest before carving, raise the oven temperature to 220° C (425° F). Put 1 to 2 tablespoons or more fat from the roast into a shallow metal pan, 26-by-36-cm (10-by-14-inch) or equivalent, making sure it is greased all over. Put the pan in the oven to heat — promptly whisk together the flour, salt, milk, and eggs until smooth. When the fat in the pan shows the first wisp of smoke, take the pan from the oven, fill it with the batter, and immediately return it to the oven. Bake until the pudding is puffed and partly crisp, brown on the bottom and in spots on top — 25 to 30 minutes. Bring the hot pan directly to the table. Serves 6 to 8.