The Proof is in the Pudding

I have a few comfort foods. These are ones that I grew up with, that my grandmothers made. My grandparents were from Great Britain, so these foods are warm and stodgy. As I was cooking dinner the other night I realised that even the smell of these foods take me back to when I was a kid.

Whenever we went to my paternal grandparents house for a meal, it was always a baked dinner. Roast beef with all the trimmings and my Grandad would sit there with a jar of hot english mustard and smear it on every forkful. My Nanna would always turn out enormous piping hot Sunday roasts, she had come around to the idea of pumpkin (although would cook it with the skin on which I absolutely hated) and no roast was complete without a huge tray of Yorkshire pudding.

The Yorkshire pudding front and centre.

I often get surprised by how many people have never heard of Yorkshire pudding, even those who come from English backgrounds. It is a batter that was (once upon a time) cooked beneath the roasting meat and would catch the dripping. It would be served before the meat and veg as a cheaper filler. It has kind of evolved over time and become another side dish for a traditional roast dinner often made muffin sized. Left overs (as if there could be any) can be served with syrup or jam for sweets. While in England, our favourite pub served them plate sized with the sausage, mash, peas and gravy on top.

The main trick with these is to have the oven really hot. I usually put them in while my meat is resting and the potatoes are crisping up.

Yorkshire Pudding 
Makes 12 patty sized puddings
Ingredients

• 1 cup plain GF flour (again, Orgran is my convenient choice)
• pinch salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup rice milk (or whatever milk you tolerate)
• oil 

Method

1.  Sift flour and salt together
2. Break the egg into flour and add half of the milk. Mix until combined. Stand for at least 30 mins.
3. Turn oven to 220℃
4. Put about a teaspoon of oil into each patty hole and place into hot oven 
5. Mix in the rest of the milk. It should be a thick, but pourable batter.
6. When oil is smoking pour batter into holes and bake for 15-20 mins. They will be golden. 
7. Yorkshire puddings always have high side and sinkholes in the middle. Don't think that you have failed when this happens. You've done it right!

Now gobble them up. I love them with LOTS of gravy. In the absence of gravy, a good shake of salt does the trick.

Variations- Gluten - use plain white flour.
                   Dairy - use cow milk and you can use ghee in place of the oil.
                   Amines - dripping or lard can be used in the pan and eat them smothered with gravy.