Yorkshire Puddings

It's Sunday, so that means one thing... Sunday Roast Dinner! A real British tradition this one, with oven roasted meat, potatoes, vegetables and gravy. Whether it be roast beef, chicken, lamb, pork or even game meats like venison or pheasant (can't say I've attempted these last two!), the traditional Sunday Roast is a great culinary delight. Its a real shame that in this fast paced, modern world, a combination of convenience food, time constraints and increased working hours means that fewer families are enjoying this traditional family meal, There is a lot to be said about the whole family sitting down together for a nice long meal with several food courses, wine and conversation. The bonding that this simple event brings has been said to bring families closer together. Sitting in front of a TV with a plate on your lap does not make for great emotional connection in the same way that sitting together round the dinner table for a few hours does.

But anyway, I digress. One of the great things about traditional Sunday dinners are the accompaniments that go with the roast meat dishes. Think of chicken with stuffing, pork with apple sauce, roast potatoes with parsnips, brussel sprouts with lardons (OK, this one is not that traditional, but its one that my kids absolutely love!!!). One of the best-loved of these accompanying dishes are Yorkshire puddings. These little beauties are most commonly eaten with roast beef and gravy, but once you've tried them, you'll be forgiven for adding them as a staple to ALL roast dinners! They are actually very simple to make, and if you remember the Golden Rule of Yorkshire puddings (more on that later), then you will have delicious, golden discs of eating pleasure every time.

This recipe is similar to James Martin's on the BBC Food website, although he uses vegetable oil instead of sunflower oil. As its from a true Yorkshireman, you can't really go wrong with it. 

Ingredients

200g plain flour

300g cold milk

3 eggs

2 Tablespoons of sunflower oil

You will also need a muffin or Yorkshire pudding tin with 12 holes.

Method

Sieve the flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the cold milk, mixing as you go. Keep mixing until all lumps are gone. Crack the 3 eggs into the bowl and mix these in as well. Its best to use a wire whisk to remove any unwanted lumps of flour, but if you don't have one of these, a fork will do if you are diligent enough! The result should be a smooth batter resembling thin pancake batter. If time permits, place the bowl into the fridge for at least 30 minutes, until you are ready to use.

Heat the oven to 220 C (although if you are cooking a Sunday Roast, the oven will most likely already be on!) The Yorkshire puddings take approximately 30 minutes to cook, so you should time it well, so that they will be ready just before you are about to serve. 

Carefully put the sunflower oil into the bottoms of the muffin trays and then use a basting brush or your (clean) finger to work the oil around the edges of the muffin trays, so that they are completely covered. The muffin tray should go into the oven for at least 5 minutes so that the oil is sizzling when you put the batter in.

Remove the muffin tray from the oven and carefully ladle the batter into the individual holes, until about two thirds full. Place the muffin tray back in the centre of the oven and cook for 30 minutes.

The Golden Rule of Yorkshire Puddings - DO NOT open the oven door to check on your Yorkshire puddings before time, as this will lead to them deflating quicker than an England fan at the end of a World cup penalty shoot-out (sorry, couldn't resist!!!)

After 30 minutes cooking, the Yorkshires should be golden brown, slightly crispy and with a light, fluffy centre.

Serve immediately with your roast meat, potatoes and veg. Don't forget a generous helping of thick gravy! Delicious!

Enjoy!

DID YOU KNOW???

According to legend, Yorkshire puddings came about as a cheap method of filling your guests, while stretching the more expensive ingredients for a second day. This would be a fitting example of typical Yorkshire thriftiness! 

but

DID YOU KNOW???

The origins of Yorkshire puddings are in dispute, as it has been argued that the recipe originates in Burgundy. Just don't tell that to a Yorkshireman!

Tattie Scones

Leftovers. As the holiday season arrives you can be sure that we are all going to cook a lot more than normal, eat a lot more than normal, and quite likely have a lot more left over food than normal. What would Christmas turkey be if it didn't last until almost the New Year?!?! Turkey curry, turkey fried rice, turkey soup, and the ubiquitous turkey sandwiches are all part and parcel (pun intended) of Christmas cuisine.

But what about the other leftovers? There's only so much you can do with day old brussel sprouts or cauliflower, and I would not recommend eating them too many days after you cook them, unless you want some pretty noxious happenings going on in your stomach!

Fortunately though, we have the humble boiled potato (or tattie in the Scottish vernacular), which, while not so inspiring on the day it is cooked, gets a delicious makeover thanks to this traditional Scottish recipe. The great thing about this recipe is that it is so easy to make, and utilises ingredients that everyone has to hand anyway.

Ingredients

500g leftover boiled potatoes

100g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

50g butter

a pinch of salt

oil for frying

Method

Mash the boiled potatoes using a masher or the back of a fork. Add the butter and blend this into the potatoes. Try to gets as many lumps out of the potatoes as you can. Sieve the flour and baking powder into the mashed potatoes and then stir in gently, until you have a ball of dough. If it is too sticky add a little more flour.

Turn the dough onto a clean, lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough out thinly, to about 5mm thickness. Use a biscuit cutter or the top of a glass to cut small rounds of about 2.5cm in diameter. 

In a large heavy bottomed frying pan, heat a little oil over a medium heat. Alternatively if you have a griddle you can fry the scones without any oil. Fry the scones gently 4 or 5 at a time, until they are browned on both sides. This should take around 8-10  minutes.

Serve immediately with a little butter. For an even more savoury variation, add a little grated cheddar cheese to the mashed potato before adding the flour.

Enjoy!

DID YOU KNOW?

Tattie scones are an integral part of the traditional Scottish breakfast, together with fried eggs, square sausage, bacon, baked beans and/or grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, toast and black pudding. All washed down with a strong cup of tea. The perfect way to start the day!

DID YOU KNOW?

A griddle is a cooking utensil with a flat surface for cooking food with no additional oil. In Scotland a griddle is known as a girdle, and can used for making oatcakes, potato scones and traditional Scottish pancakes. Just don't mistake it for your Granny's corset!