Yorkshire Puddings

   It's really funny how something that needs minimal ingredients and appears to be so terribly simple can be an absolute monster, a git, a 'cafone' to perfect. You can make several attempts to get it right, but along the way on the road to perfection, at some point, the troll always pops out from under the bridge and eats you. Crackling on meat is one of those devilishly dastardly missions. Another one of these first-world problems, is Yorkshire Puddings.

   It's fair to say I've had a number of catastrophes with these traditional little treats that perfect pretty much any Sunday lunch (that article I read about Sunday lunch going extinct recently online - it will NEVER do that in my house, I'm British for God's sake!!). On one occasion I made the epic fail of opening the oven door to either take something out or put something in while the Yorkshires were on the rise. WRONG. The slightest fluctuation in temperature, and these babies hit the ground like little batter disks of death. The only date they're having then, is with the bin.

   Another epic fail was to (I have no idea why) decide with my fan oven to firstly, heat up the oil for only 20 minutes (WRONG), but also to cook them at 140 degrees. WRONG. Yes, WRONG, WRONG, WROOO-OOONG!! The result? Hard batter discs again. Everything else was timed to perfection like a little military operation and I was the colonel. However, these soldiers were the only ones failing to get in line. They were court-martialed of course.

   So now, I can happily tell you that I have perfected the method. And this is how you go about it if you want this done right. First, it's all about the timing. That is so crucial I cannot stress it enough. Look at all the components of your Sunday roast. The meat, the veg, the potatoes, the gravy. Now think about the time frames of them all and draw up a plan of what time this goes in, that goes in, comes out and so forth, so they everything finishes cooking at the exact same time.

But you make your Yorkshire Puddings first.

So, to make six small Yorkshire Puddings you will need...

• 35g plain flour
• 1 medium-sized egg
• 50ml milk (any)
• salt & pepper (for seasoning)
• vegetable oil (for greasing)

1. Turn your fan oven on to 200 degrees / 220 degrees conventional / gas mark 7. Grease a x6 muffin tray with only a little vegetable oil (I would use a quarter of a teaspoon for each one). After you've let the oven heat up for 10-15 mins, pop the oiled muffin tray into the oven and leave in there for 45 minutes. The oil must be crazy-hot to achieve the right result! You are safe to add your meat during this time as well.  

2. Make your batter. Mix the flour, eggs, milk and a little seasoning together until you have a smooth batter, free of any lumps. I strongly recommend you sieve your flour in as this will mean less whisking. Make sure it's completely lump-free and set aside until your oil is ready. 

3. This is the moment that requires speed. When your 45 minutes are up, remove the muffin tray as fast as you can. Try to let as little heat out as possible, and as fast as you can, divide your batter into the muffins trays. Make certain you do this AWAY from you and anyone else - mad-hot oil on your skin or clothes is not pleasurable I can promise you! Once divided, open the oven door again and pop then in and shut the door as fast as possible. Try to put them on the highest shelf, as heat rises, this will help with the rise of the puddings. 

4. After 20 minutes (DO NOT open the over door during this time!), remove from the oven and set on a plate until the rest of your dinner is ready. You should have perfectly risen Yorkshire Puddings. Once the oven us turned off and just before you are about to serve your dinner, pop the plates you will be eating your dinner off with your Yorkshires on into your now cooling-down oven for about 2 minutes. You'll have nicely-warm plates to keep your dinner warm, and it will heat up your Yorkshires a little too. 

Enjoy your roast everyone! 

J xx