My grandmother came from Sheffield, England and she taught my mother how to prepare classic British recipes. Though money could be tight at our house, we always had roast beef and Yorkshire Pudding at Christmas time. If you have never had Yorkshire Pudding you may think it is a dessert. Actually, Yorkshire Pudding is a pancake-like batter and can be sweet or savory.
The recipe for Yorkshire Pudding is centuries old, according to the A Taste of Britain Website, and has been in existence since the middle ages. At this time in history meat was usually roasted on a spit. The Yorkshire Pudding was set below the rotating meat so it could be flavored with dripping juices and fat. Later in history, Yorkshire Pudding was baked in a preheated pan that was coated heavily with fat. Beef fat was usually the fat of choice, but bacon fat was also used.
Yorkshire Pudding is still a staple of the British diet and gravy is essential to the dish. Sometimes Yorkshire Pudding is served as a first course with vegetables and gravy. We never had it this way when I was growing up, however. My mother always served the Yorkshire Pudding with the beef. After the beef was gone she would serve Yorkshire Pudding as main course with leftover gravy.
This is a two-for-one recipe. When you have learned how to make Yorkshire Pudding you have also learned how to make popovers, for the recipe is the same.
Though the holidays are approaching, visions of sugarplums do not dance in my head. No, I have visions of fragrant, puffy, crispy Yorkshire Pudding. I have made Yorkshire Pudding so often I know the recipe by heart. I also know it is loaded with fat. So I lightened the recipe and the results were amazing. My lighter Yorkshire Pudding tasted better than the historic recipe. It was so good I had to share it. Here is the recipe, a gift from my kitchen to yours.
HARRIET'S YORKSHIRE PUDDING
INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose flour OR 1 cup half white and half wheat flour
OR 1 cup King Arthur white whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon lower sodium salt
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon light olive oil
METHOD
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a 10-inch Pyrex pie pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Combine flour and salt in a batter bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk egg, egg substitute, skim milk, and olive oil together. Gradually add this wet mixture to the dry. Pour batter into pie pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are puffed and brown. Serve immediately with de-fatted beef gravy. Makes 8 servings.
HARRIET'S HUGE POPOVERS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat 6 custard cups with cooking spray and set on jelly roll pan. Prepare Yorkshire Pudding batter as directed. Pour into custard cups and bake for 30 minutes, or until the popovers are high and golden. Serve immediately with sugar-free jelly or jam. Makes 6 popovers.
Copyright 2006 by Harriet Hodgson
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