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I have finally tracked down my Holy Grail of the perfect Yorkshire Pudding Recipe from the Executive Chef of the Royal York hotel- Steve Carruthers. York is my favourite city in the UK and the texture and flavour of Yorkshire pudding are one of its many highlights.
And here it is!:
Ingredients Required
- 1 lb plain flour
- 8 eggs
- ½ pint semi-skimmed milk
- Salt and pepper to season
Begin by combining the ingredients to form a smooth batter. Season to taste and add cold water if too thick (note, using hot or warm water will damage the consistency of your batter and hinder them rising). When trying to make truly great Yorkshire puddings, a deep tray is preferred (muffin trays tend to be deeper, have steeper sides and fare better than usual bun trays for encouraging your Yorkie puds to rise!).
But as anyone worth their salt will tell you, the real key to a great Yorkshire pudding is the oil/fat. And the two things you need to remember are quality and heat. For the best possible results use beef dripping, goose fat or lard (or a good quality oil – note olive oil does not get hot enough for Yorkshire puddings). Pour oil into each of your muffin trays and put in the oven to heat. The oil/fat must be smoking hot before you’re ready to put your batter in. When the oven has reached 200 degrees and the oil/fat is smoking, pour your batter into the tray and place back in the over as quickly as possible. Leave to cook for 20-25mins, turning the tray only once mid-way through cooking. Resist the urge to open the oven door any more than this, as keeping the heat in and letting the batter do its thing is key to watching your Yorkshire puds rise before your eyes. Once cooked, remove from the oven and serve immediately.
As a Bon Viveur I am intrigued by the creation of great food so asked Steve a few questions on how he became a chef and related matters.
Can you tell us a little bit about your background? When did you decide to become a chef?
Started in the industry at 15 years old and decided this was the industry for me. Through a combination of hard work and a love of food, I had my first Head Chef position at the age of 20. My past experience had ranged from country house hotels, Rosette restaurants, Gastro Pubs and Conference/City Centre hotels. Most notable highlights include working as Head Chef on board VIP flights and owning a village pub in the Eden Valley for 3 years. All of this has contributed to the diverse range of food that I am proud to serve at The Royal York today.
How did you end up as Executive chef of the prestigious Royal York hotel?
I actually held the position of Exec Chef here in 2003, before leaving to buy the pub in Eden Valley. After 3 years my wife and I took the decision to move back to York, so sold the pub and returned to the Royal York initially on a freelance basis before taking up the position of Executive Chef once again.
What makes a good chef? What makes a great chef?
Obviously being able to cook helps! But much of the technique can be acquired. A depth and range of knowledge is important, but that comes with time. I think being open to learning from and sharing your own knowledge with others is key. To run a kitchen, certainly the ability to keep calm under pressure and take control is important. But to be a truly great chef, that comes from nothing other than a love of food, a love of ingredients, flavour and the inquisitiveness to try new things, new combinations, new recipes. A great chef doesn’t just cook for other people, a great chef cooks for the satisfaction of cooking, for the thrill of creation.
What is your favourite starter?
Mussels in their shell, cooked with thai spices and coconut milk for a completely different take on seafood.
Main?
Being a Yorkshireman, I’m a lover of hearty dishes. I’d go for “proper” locally sourced Cumberland sausages, buttery mashed potato with roasted red onions and sage gravy any day of the week!
Pudding?
A creamy, smooth Vanilla Crème Brulee with a perfectly crisped sugar-lid and a zesty orange shortbread for contrast.
Mmmm Yumm. We will be returning to Steve’s kitchen!
Related articles
- Malton Food Lovers Festival 2011 promises a great tasting weekend! (maltonfoodfestival.co.uk)
- Vegan Yorkshire Pudding (veggielover99.wordpress.com)
Re: Steve’s favourite main dish – I love sausage, mash and onion gravy too!
You like a pie as well
we have Yorkshire Pudding every Christmas with our prime rib – always make if from scratch – here is the USA! My grandmother’s receipe – Roberts was her last name – extremely British lady.
Now I know why mine are as flat as pancakes – I use Olive Oil…… Sunday Roast it is this week, without any olives in site!!
Got to try this one – all other recipes tried still end up as Yorkshire biscuits! Will let you know the outcome..
History of the real Yorkshire Puddings
The first ever recorded recipe appears in a book, called the Whole Duty of a Woman in 1737 and it was called Dripping Pudding, this came from spit-roast meat dripping onto a tray and cooking a batter mix, this produced a flat pudding hen called Dripping pudding.
The next recorded recipe took the strange pudding, to a local delicacy to become the nation’s favourite dish by a lady in North Yorkshire Moors, and was published in The Art of Cookery Made Easy by Hannah Glasse in 1747.
As one of the most famous food writers of the time, the popularity of the book spread all over the world and the Yorkshire pudding was born.
Mrs Beeton may have been one of Britain’s most famous food writers but omitted to state in her cook book that to make Yorkshires you need a very hot oven; the recipe was further wronged by stating to cook the pudding in advance and placing under the meat an hour before serving. Yorkshire folk blame her error on her been a Southerner and not understanding the Yorkshire ways.
The original idea of the Yorkshire pudding was that meat was very expensive and the cheap Yorkshire pudding was a good fill belly and saved on the expensive meats.
Serving the Yorkshire pudding
Serving the pudding as a starter, is traditionally with gravy, and Yorkshire salad. (See bottom for Yorkshire salad recipe). Or starter with onion gravy. and the Yorkshire puddings were the size of the dinner plate.
When served with Yorkshire salad the salad was in the middle of the pudding and the gravy was round the outer edge.
Main course, by using the same plate the main meal, meat and potato with vegetable and of course the Yorkshire pudding and gravy, this Yorkshire pudding was usually baked in a large baking tin and cut to size.
Then to finish the meal a Yorkshire pudding served with treacle or jam and cream as a sweet pudding
No-one really knows how far back the recipe goes; it is safe to say that some form of “batter” or “dripping” pudding as it was previously named, has been cooked by (Farmers and locals in North Ridding of Yorkshire as it was then known) for centuries.
It was originally a flatter version, and was cooked in a tin under the meat which was spit roast over a fire and the meat could catch all the drippings from the meat, hence dripping pudding.
A large Yorkshire pudding filled with a meaty stew, or chilli, etc, is a pub idea commonly known as, pub grub, and these Yorkshire puddings are often made in advance and heated up and the filling added and taste nothing like the real thing.
The tradition of making Yorkshires was taken to America by early day settlers. Where like most things American get hold of were ruined by adding chocolate chips and fruit etc, hence today the only good Yorkshire pudding comes from Yorkshire and is made by a Yorkshire lassie, and must be served hot from the oven and not frozen, or messed about with.
This is my mothers Yorkshire Pudding
By Joan Wise
A Yorkshire lass
You need a measuring bowel a ramekin or similar, and a Yorkshire pudding backing tray
Ingredients
Plane flour
Salt
Eggs
Milk
Dripping (or you can use lard)
Method
The most important thing is that this is a Yorkshire dish and will only work if you follow the Yorkshire instructions, the quantity is very important.
I use a ramekin that holds 2 eggs to the rim, so first I brake the two eggs into the ramekin and see the level on the side, then pour them into a mixing bowl, now pour the same amount of milk into the ramekin, and add to the eggs, then the same amount of plane flour and add that, then whisk together to form a smooth paste / batter, now add a sprinkle of salt and mix then leave to stand for 15 minutes.
While the mix is standing add a small amount of dripping in each of your Yorkshire pudding backing tin wells and place in the oven to heat up, (you can use one large tin and divide the pudding when cooked).
Now take you pudding mix and give it a quick stir and once the dripping is hot and smoking remove the tray and add 1.1/2 to 2 serving spoons of the mixture to each of the wells in the tray filling to about 2/3 full, and then return to the oven do not open the door for 10 minutes, then open slightly to see what is happening and close carefully, once the puddings have risen and are brown you can remove them and serve, if you have a glass door on your oven keep it shut until the pudding are ready, I have a ray burn and the doors on my cooker is solid.
I was always told never wash the Yorkshire pudding cooking dish just wipe it clean as the pudding never stick and it matures the tin.
Yorkshire sweet Vinegar salad
By Mrs Joan Wise
Ingredients
1 lettuce sliced into shreds
1 Onion sliced
3 or4 Tomato diced
½ Cucumber sliced
10 Radish’s sliced
A good quantity of sugar
Malt vinegar
Method
Slice the lettuce into thin strips and place in a bowl dice the tomato, and slice the onion, then slice the radish and cucumber in thin slices and add to the bow and mix together now add a good amount of sugar and vinegar and stir, allow to stand for 1 hr then give it a good stir and serve with cold meat, or this was served with Yorkshire puddings as a starter or left over puddings as a snack.
This was often given to us on a Monday using up the remainder of the Sunday joint along with chips cooked in dripping.
Thank you for your very extensive reply. I am not sure of the Yorkshire Salad though!
Hi Nick,
This Yorkshire pudding recipe sounds excellent – may I also suggest adding an extra egg white and some chopped, cooked and cooled bacon to the batter mix?
For an amazing Sunday roast beef – try roasting a small piece of gammon in with your beef. The gammon will give both the beef and the gravy a lovely taste, especially if you also add a drop of red wine to the gravy.
Hi Elizabeth
You could add an extra egg white and bacon to the batter, but it won’t be Yorkshire Pudding any more then will it????!! As a Yorkshire woman, I was taught to make Yorkshire Puddings by my mother who was taught by hers before her….and it’s deliciousness is in it’s simplicity and the attention you put into making them.
You are absolutely right Claire but recipes do change through the ages with changes to ingredients