Definitive recipe for Yorkshire Puddings

December 19, 2017 7:28 AM

If you celebrate Christmas, you should have Yorkshire Puddings with Christmas dinner. If you don't celebrate Christmas, you should make roast beef and have Yorkshire Puddings. Or chicken, or lentil loaf, and Yorkshire Puddings. They're popovers, they seem difficult and look impressive but are manageable if you can cook at all.
posted by theora55 (54 comments total)

Previously.
posted by theora55 at 7:32 AM on December 19, 2017

Or have them as a course on their own, before the meat with gravy, and again after the meat with jam.

Yorkshire puddings are the best.
posted by Dysk at 7:34 AM on December 19, 2017 [4 favorites]

Or Toad in the Hole (Edit, er as mentioned in the article)
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 7:40 AM on December 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Won't be able to make them for Christmas, but maybe for New Year's Day. Guess I'd better dig up my popover pan!
posted by briank at 7:41 AM on December 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

For a sweet dish add fruit = Apple batter or Rhubarb batter, was a fave when I was a kid
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 7:49 AM on December 19, 2017

Ian McMillan, the Yorkshire poet, tweets a photo of his batter mixture every Sunday.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 7:50 AM on December 19, 2017 [3 favorites]

This makes me want to go home and make giant puds filled with large meaty sausages and thick onion gravy. I should probably go home anyway since this is about the longest piece of text I've written all day and as I'm starting to salivate.
posted by biffa at 7:51 AM on December 19, 2017 [3 favorites]

One of my earliest AskMe questions, asked on this very day in 2004, was about making Yorkshire pudding. People were like "it's pretty foolproof!" but I'm still about 50/50 on getting it to rise. My wife is in charge of it this year, I'll focus on the rib roast which is super easy but it's still the thing that impresses everyone.

Is Yorkshire Pudding the same thing as a popover when you make it in a muffin tin? That's how we usually do it, long ago I gave up on making it in a single pan. I wish I could just have The Jordan Pond House deliver me some fresh popovers but they're way up in Maine and I'm not. Not even sure they're open this time of year.

Anyway, if you've never eaten a popover at the Jordan Pond House in Acadia National Park, you need to do that.

Christmas menu:
Standing rib roast
These potatoes cooked in duck fat. Duck! Fat!
Brussles sprouts
yorkshire pudding
Various apps and desserts
posted by bondcliff at 7:56 AM on December 19, 2017 [5 favorites]

The first Yorkshire pudding I ever had was one of the top five tastiest things I've ever eaten.

None since then have ever come close.

This is my white whale.
posted by Navelgazer at 8:02 AM on December 19, 2017 [6 favorites]

Also available for street eating: Yorkshire pudding wraps.
posted by ambrosen at 8:02 AM on December 19, 2017 [2 favorites]

bondcliff, if I didn't already have plans, I would crash your Christmas dinner.
posted by theora55 at 8:05 AM on December 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Previously
posted by theora55 at 8:06 AM on December 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Or have them as a course on their own, before the meat with gravy, and again after the meat with jam.

Own meal even. I am basically blacklisted from discussing yorkshire pudding in my family because I feel like they are better in theory than in practice - my grandmother repeatedly made exceptional ones, but most of the ones I've had from other people have been meh, either because they didn't rise or they were overcooked. The needle is so thin and the quality drop off so severe that I'd suggest skipping it entirely.

My stance remains - if you're going to make that batter, you should really be making a dutch baby which more reliably turns out great and is a hell of a brunch topping vehicle.
posted by notorious medium at 8:14 AM on December 19, 2017

In my family popovers and Yorkshire Pudding were different.
Yorkshire pudding was like a Toad-in-a-Hole without the sausage or like a dutch baby; a single large pan with a puffy external crust and a thick, bready, mushy center. Cooked either in butter or the meat drippings (but we eat game, which doesn't have enough fat to drip).

So, the real question . . .
If I make a Venison Wellington, is it bad form to also make Yorkshire Pudding.
How about both AND potatoes?
And soft rolls?
How much carbs is too much carbs on a holiday.
posted by Seamus at 8:14 AM on December 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Do also note the side recipe there for "Eggy Puds" . Save some batter for the next morning, fry up diced bacon, pour batter into skillet and bake, then serve with fried eggs in the bowl of the pud.
posted by dnash at 8:15 AM on December 19, 2017 [4 favorites]

My stance remains - if you're going to make that batter, you should really be making a dutch baby which more reliably turns out great and is a hell of a brunch topping vehicle.

As I read the article, I thought, "This doesn't sound all that different from a dutch baby!" I am glad to be affirmed by someone more knowledgeable.
posted by Orlop at 8:24 AM on December 19, 2017

When I learned about dutch babies, I looked online discussion on how to make them and realized every dutch baby discussion turns into a dutch baby/yorkshire pudding debate within 30 posts; yorkshire pudding discussions only turn into such debates about 25% the time, and slightly less often, into yorkshire pudding/popover debates. Yorkshire pudding is the hegemon.
posted by skewed at 8:35 AM on December 19, 2017 [2 favorites]

I am so having eggy puds for breakfast this weekend! I just need to remember to make the batter ahead of time.
posted by TedW at 8:37 AM on December 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Unlike theora55, I do NOT have Christmas plans and therefore will be crashing bondcliff's dinner.

My mom is an accomplished cook but cannot make a proper pud to save her life. They never rise, so every one is a flabby rectangle soaked in dripping. Taste nice though!
posted by elsietheeel at 8:42 AM on December 19, 2017 [2 favorites]

As I read the article, I thought, "This doesn't sound all that different from a dutch baby!" I am glad to be affirmed by someone more knowledgeable.

My workflow, limited in knowledge as I may be, is:

1) Is the maker proudly of Germanic descent? or
2) Is it being made in a skillet vs. a muffin tin? or
3) Is the meal it's being served in the AM or early PM?

If one criteria is satisfied, it's a dutch baby - else, it's a yorkie.
posted by notorious medium at 8:49 AM on December 19, 2017

You know you've made it if your (not actually married) Geordie mother-in-law makes you a special giant Yorkshire pudding to go with Christmas dinner. The main rule is DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN

I have made Yorkshire pudding for Texans and we had some leftover and ate them cold with fresh crabmeat...
posted by sedimentary_deer at 8:54 AM on December 19, 2017 [2 favorites]

My British boyfriend makes awesome Yorkshire pretty regularly. I stay out of the kitchen when he cooks because his kitchen sanitation can be dubious and it makes me crazy. (Rinsing in hot water is not washing!)

The Yorkshire pudding is his wheelhouse and I leave him to it and try to stay out of the way, and just happily eat up. He's quite the gravy master as well.
posted by shoesietart at 8:59 AM on December 19, 2017

Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this pud of York.
posted by Segundus at 9:32 AM on December 19, 2017 [9 favorites]

I, like the article author, thought of creamy sweets. In fact, they look like little relatives of German pancakes, which are great to make if you have a ton of eggs. Similarly to the traditional large pan puds, I made mine in a really big pan, and I accidentally achieved a pancake hat or crown -- very tall sides, flat in the center. It was impressive.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:18 AM on December 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Duck! Fat!

!!! *Homer drooling noise*
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:27 AM on December 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

So, uh, i’d like to make these this year now. Do I just go to the butcher and ask for a standing rib roast?
posted by PussKillian at 10:56 AM on December 19, 2017

@PussKillian the video on this page from a recent askme is helpful

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/12/perfect-prime-rib-beef-recipe.html
posted by humboldt32 at 11:03 AM on December 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

We weren't even planning on having a real Christmas dinner but now I'm checking the supermarket ad and you can't really argue with $4.77 a pound...
posted by uncleozzy at 11:07 AM on December 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

So, uh, i’d like to make these this year now. Do I just go to the butcher and ask for a standing rib roast?

Pretty much, yeah. It's a real easy thing to cook and it's the best bang for the buck ever. Follow humbolt32's link and you can't go wrong. I first learned that method on Good Eats and it works really well.
posted by bondcliff at 11:16 AM on December 19, 2017 [2 favorites]

The Good Eats episode Popover Sometime is pretty entertaining, and I think includes a segment on the Dutch Baby too.
posted by slogger at 11:43 AM on December 19, 2017

> will be crashing bondcliff's dinner
elsietheeel, don't tempt me even more.

> checking the supermarket ad and you can't really argue with $4.77 a pound...
uncleozzy, now I have checked the ad and want to buy a rib roast, though I live alone and am celebrating Christmas dinner at a friend's.
posted by theora55 at 11:57 AM on December 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

So I have like three mefites crashing my Christmas dinner, is that correct?

You should probably know that Saturday is our annual Dysfunctional Family Christmas (featuring my side of the family) and I'll be serving barbecued ribs, mac and cheese, slow cooked baked beans, BBQ green beans and corn bread. You can crash that one too but I should warn you there will probably be a lot of yelling.
posted by bondcliff at 12:05 PM on December 19, 2017 [4 favorites]

(If I weren't on the other side of the country and having two root canals and two extractions tomorrow I'd crash them both. Instead I'm going to be having poached eggs and hollandaise. And hopefully Vicodin for dessert.)
posted by elsietheeel at 12:23 PM on December 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Never had Yorkshire Pudding before, but now I'm interested in trying this on the kids. Would I be setting myself up for failure if I used muffin tins and bacon fat/drippings?
posted by bwvol at 12:28 PM on December 19, 2017

The linked article suggests that the tin shape is not paramount and that the important thing about the oil is that it be saturated fat (bacon fat presumably qualifies), so presumably you're fine.
posted by inconstant at 12:32 PM on December 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

You can crash that one too but I should warn you there will probably be a lot of yelling.

I'm prepared to put up with a fair amount of yelling (especially if I'm not directly involved) for good BBQ ribs.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:42 PM on December 19, 2017 [2 favorites]

Duck! Fat!

I normally cook my roast potatoes in duck! fat! but I recently noticed that the local poncey butcher sells big tubs of beef dripping, which I’m very curious to try…
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 12:48 PM on December 19, 2017

Oh man, not long after posting about my desire for giant Yorkshire puds with bangers and onion gravy I popped into my SO's office for an unrelated matter and she asked about dinner and I got my wish! Bumping the pre-Xmas thick veggie soup in favour of deliciousness. I didn't even have to cook it! Good work Metafilter.
posted by biffa at 1:00 PM on December 19, 2017 [2 favorites]

Here is the secret to making your popovers and Yorkshire puddings rise correctly.

Warm the milk and eggs to lukewarm first. You can put the milk in the microwave for a few seconds, and put the eggs in a small bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes. If you don’t want to nuke the milk, you can pour it into a measuring cup and then put that in a shallow bowl of warm water too. The key is that they should not be cold straight from the fridge! If they are cold, your batter will be cold, steam will not form sufficiently, and your batter will cook in place instead of being puffed up by the steam. Likewise, you do not need a lot of fat. In a popover pan, about 1/3 tablespoon is more than sufficient.
posted by Autumnheart at 1:15 PM on December 19, 2017 [2 favorites]

I was thinking of making them as a breakfast dish using bacon fat (or country ham drippings) and filling them with home fries, diced onions and cheddar cheese. Sort of a British/Southern US fusion thingy. Is this a pud violation?
posted by bwvol at 1:18 PM on December 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Duck! Fat!

We had some of that left over from Christmas one year, which Mrs. Example gathered up, stored in the freezer, and labeled thusly:

FUCK DAT
DUCK FAT
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 1:28 PM on December 19, 2017 [4 favorites]

Q: How much carbs is too much carbs on a holiday.
A: Yes!
posted by supermedusa at 2:13 PM on December 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Is this a pud violation?

If it's wrong then you (and I) don't want to be right. That sounds like an amazing idea.
posted by Dysk at 2:41 PM on December 19, 2017 [3 favorites]

I’ve no idea how to make Yorkshire pudding, and I don’t foresee learning how. But as an American Anglophiliac child (I had a subscription to Punch, even though I didn’t get half the jokes), and because we got to choose the menu for our birthday, I always requested roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.
posted by kozad at 2:46 PM on December 19, 2017

I’ve no idea how to make Yorkshire pudding, and I don’t foresee learning how.

Use Delia Smith's YP recipe, like about 75% of Brits do. That's the one that guided my dinner tonight.
posted by biffa at 3:03 PM on December 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Is this one of those times where my phone is eavesdropping on my (non-phone) conversations and serving up relevant content? Because Mr. Darling and I were *just* talking about having Yorkshire puddings at Christmas dinner. eeeeerie
posted by Sweetie Darling at 5:03 PM on December 19, 2017

Would I be setting myself up for failure if I used muffin tins and bacon fat/drippings?


No. You will be setting yourself up for company ::::gets coat on, heads for door:::::
posted by datawrangler at 5:33 PM on December 19, 2017 [3 favorites]

bwvol Never had Yorkshire Pudding before, but now I'm interested in trying this on the kids. Would I be setting myself up for failure if I used muffin tins and bacon fat/drippings?

Nope. I used muffin tins the last time I made Yorkshire pudding and they turned out just fine.

From a chemistry standpoint bacon fat should work beautifully, as Kenji notes fats that are solid at room temperature tend to work better than fats that aren't. From a flavor standpoint the bacon taste might be a bit overwhelming, but it might work perfectly too.

Try it and tell us how it came out!

And, I can see the idea of breakfast Yorkshire pudding... Pudding made with bacon fat and served with eggs and bacon, mmmm.
posted by sotonohito at 8:32 AM on December 20, 2017

And, on googling, it turns out that breakfast Yorkshire puddings made with bacon grease are definitely a thing.
posted by sotonohito at 8:54 AM on December 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

Oh, I have a quart of bacon grease in the fridge and company coming for Christmas brunch so
posted by uncleozzy at 9:01 AM on December 20, 2017

I just got four pounds of thick-cut Loveless Cafe bacon, and I'm planning to put this crazy plan into action sometime in the next few days.
posted by bwvol at 12:27 PM on December 20, 2017

I make Mexican food on Christmas Day, so no Yorkshire Pud with that. But on New Year's Day I always have a Dutch Baby for breakfast. It's a Yorkshire Pud batter, with a spoonful of sugar and a dash of vanilla, baked in a cast-iron skillet in a hot oven and served with a fruit compote.
posted by essexjan at 5:23 PM on December 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

I made this recipe for Christmas dinner, using the drippings from my partner's roast gator tail, and I think it came out pretty well for a first attempt.
posted by tobascodagama at 3:43 PM on December 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

I bought a good muffin tin, and made yorkies from scratch yesterday, for the first time ever. They came out great! I had a little batter left over, so I made some more for breakfast today, cooked in butter. With a bit of jam they were superb. There will be a lot of Yorkshire puddings in my future now. All because of this thread!
posted by Dysk at 6:02 AM on January 17, 2018 [3 favorites]