A Christmas classic

Yorkshire pudding is a Christmas classic that originated in England and dates back to the 1700's. It was originally called Dripping Pudding, because the batter is cooked in hot roast dripping. Yorkshire pudding is traditionally served with a standing prime rib roast.

Yorkshire pudding an economizing brainchild

Yorkshire pudding was originally a way to stretch a meal. Flour is much cheaper than meat, so by flavoring the pudding with meat fat, diners would fill up on the pudding and eat less meat. You will fully understand the reasoning behind this when you get the tab for your prime rib roast. Consider making more Yorkshire pudding and cutting back on the prime rib portion size. The puddings are so delicious no one will mind.

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Tips for making puffy, beautiful Yorkshire puddings

A good Yorkshire pudding should rise several inches, be airy on the inside and crispy-chewy on the outside. To achieve this:

• Mix the batter until there are no lumps.
• There are two schools of thought on batter temperature. One school of thought says the batter must be room temperature. The other says the batter must be very cold. For years I subscribed to the cold batter approach, but finally did a side-by-side test. To my surprise, the room temperature yields a lighter, more airy pudding. The cold batter produces a denser pudding. Personally, I prefer the lighter pudding and no longer refrigerate the batter before cooking.
• Cold or room temperature, the batter should rest for at least an hour before baking.
• You can make plain Yorkshire pudding, but I like to add some chopped herbs, usually chives.
• I use Yorkshire pudding pans, because I like their shape and they allow plenty of room for the pudding to expand and rise. In a pinch, you can use muffin tins, or cook one big Yorkshire pudding in a 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish. This recipe makes enough batter for two 13 x 9 x 2 pans.
• The best Yorkshire pudding is made from the rendered fat of a roast. It can be a beef, mutton, chicken, duck or turkey roast. If you are not roasting meat, you can render bacon fat from a few strips of bacon. Butter and olive oil should not be used as they will burn and smoke.
• Preheat your pans. When they are hot, add a teaspoon or so of rendered fat to each of the single pudding pans. Return the pans to the oven and heat until the fat begins to sizzle, then add your batter.
• Once the puddings go in the oven, do not open the oven until the puddings are done. If you must peak, keep the door shut and use your oven light.
• If you are using a 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish, the cooking time will be about 5 minutes longer.
• You can't make too many Yorkshire puddings. I plan on two per guest, and with my family that is not always enough.

This recipe is a modified version of a Yorkshire pudding recipe that was published in Epicurious in 1998. I updated this recipe on 12/4/14.

Yorkshire pudding

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For me Yorkshire pudding and prime rib are the quintessential Christmas meal just out of a Dicken’s novel. And in fact, Yorkshire pudding dates back to the 1700’s as a tasty way to stretch a meal.

• Author: Something New For Dinner
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 16 puddings 1x

Ingredients

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• 2 heaping cups of flour
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 cups milk
• 4 eggs, lightly whisked
• Handful of chives, chopped
• 2 – 3 ounces of rendered fat

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Instructions

1. Using an electric mixer, combine flour, salt, milk and eggs in a bowl. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue mixing until the batter has no lumps. Stir in chopped chives. Cover and let batter rest for at least an hour before baking puddings.
2. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Put your pudding pans in the oven for 10 minutes to heat. Remove from the oven and put about 1 t of rendered fat in each pudding mold. Return the pans to the oven and continue to heat until the fat sizzles.
3. Remove from the oven and quickly pour the batter into the individual Yorkshire pudding molds, filling each about 2/3 way. Return to the oven and bake undisturbed for 20 to 25 minutes, until puffed and golden. Serve immediately.