Yorkshire Pudding

(by Patricia Fieldsteel)

My mother’s Yorkshire pudding was from a recipe in the American housewives’ culinary bible, The Joy of Cooking, by Irma S. Rombauer. She made it in a rectangular, dented and lopsided tin, which she passed on to me once she bought herself a better one. It's similar to popovers and Dutch babies. It was originally known as a “dripping pudding,” a dish developed in northern England to catch the drippings from meat roasted on a spit into a batter pan below. The first recipe in print appeared in The Whole Duty of a Woman (1737). Hannah Glasse published a similar recipe that she renamed Yorkshire Pudding in The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy. It was originally served as a first course, meant to dampen the appetite, so diners would eat less of the more expensive meat that followed. Today Yorkshire pudding is an almost obligatory accompaniment to a standing loin rib roast of beef. It rises high from the pan when done and retains a custardy inside with a crunchy crisp golden crust.

All ingredients must be at room temperature, otherwise the pudding will not rise.

7/8 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. salt

1/2 c. whole milk

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 c. water