Today marks National Yorkshire Pudding Day, which is annually celebrated on the first Sunday of February. In previous years, Brig have explored the history of the Yorkshire Pudding. This year, in celebration of the classic, simple, Yorkshire delicacy, I have collected a handful of unique ways to enjoy it – along with including a simple, beginner-friendly recipe.
The traditional way
Back in the olden days, the Yorkshire Pudding was more commonly known as ‘dripping pudding’, or simply ‘batter’. It would be cooked beneath the meat so that the juices would drip down onto it as it cooked, and served as a starter designed to fill you up – leaving less room for the more expensive meat. This is the way that my dad, who hails from Yorkshire, remembers it, served by his grandfather with gravy to make the meat go further later in the meal.
As a dessert?
Whatever was left of the Yorkshire Pudding would be served the next day as dessert. A drizzle of golden syrup, or perhaps jam and cream. Beef juice and syrup served together personally do not appeal to me, but each to their own (I’m looking at you, Great-Grandpa).
The Yorkshire Pudding Wrap
A massive Yorkshire Pudding, loaded with meat and vegetables and gravy, and rolled up in a chunky mockery of a burrito – it doesn’t get better than that. Yorkshire Pudding wraps have been cropping up in food trucks and at Christmas markets for years now and sounds like the perfect way to fully appreciate the versatility of the simple side dish. Learn how to make one at home here.
So…do they belong on a Christmas Dinner?
The age-old question! We may be way past the Christmas season, however, National Yorkshire Pudding Day is the perfect time to raise the debate again. In my family, we wouldn’t dream of having a Christmas dinner without a huge pile of steaming, homemade Yorkies in the middle of the table. Many families, however, will swear that the battery goodness shouldn’t come near the table. Why? I just cannot fathom it.
How to make your own
The perfect way to celebrate Yorkshire Pudding Day would be to make your own. Here’s what we do in our family:
All you need is eggs, plain flour, and milk. Measure these in consistent quantities (e.g. 4 eggs make 200ml, add 200ml of milk and 200 ‘ml’ of flour), in a large bowl, whisk until smooth, and leave it to rest for a while.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a muffin/cupcake tin, in the oven at 220 degrees Celsius.
When the oil is piping hot, spoon just enough of the mixture into the tin.
Put them back into the oven on very high heat for ten minutes.
Turn down the oven to around 170 degrees Celsius and bake until golden and crispy – this should be 20 more minutes.
Serve however you fancy! There’s no wrong way of enjoying them unless you’re not enjoying them at all.
Featured Image Credit: Kilchrenan Inn/Pip Pedley
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