My father is an ornery man.
Not that I really know what “ornery” means, but I have a feeling it describes my father. Other words I might choose would include stubborn, secretive and moody.
I’m writing, of course, only of his attitude as it applies to food and cooking, and I am thinking, in particular, of his yearly round with Yorkshire pudding on Christmas Day.
None of us knows how he makes it, because everyone is banished from the kitchen once he gets going. All I know is first the roast comes out of the oven and it’s set aside to rest, then everyone except Dad assembles for a cocktail, and a half-hour later, he emerges from the kitchen, demanding that we must eat right now.
It’s much more charming than it sounds. And the Yorkshire pudding — crispy, popover-tall, and savory with the beef fat from the roasting pan it’s cooked in — is always perfect.
(And he’s right about the eating immediately thing. No matter how beautiful your Yorkshire pudding is, it’ll deflate within minutes.)
Dad’s not one to share recipes, so I don’t really know what his secret is. But here’s a very simple recipe for a Christmas Yorkshire pudding that works beautifully.
The trick to a tall, regal Yorkshire pudding, particularly at mile-high altitude, is to keep your eyes on it at all times and reduce the heat just moments after it reaches its peak height. Too early and it will collapse or be gummy; too late and it will burn.
Also, as tempting as it is, don’t use too much fat. Fat is heavy, and too much of it will inhibit the pudding’s potential rise.
So, banish everyone else from the kitchen, remove all distractions, and keep your eye on the pudding. Once you serve them this decadent, festive, fat-laden, beef-savory, once-a-year treat, they’ll forgive you.
Yorkshire Pudding
Can be made in the roasting pan, or in a separate 9-by-13- inch glass baking dish. If you don’t have beef drippings, use melted butter. Serves 6.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup beef drippings
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Pinch salt
- 3 medium eggs
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place roasting pan or baking dish in oven with drippings and heat for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together milk, flour and salt into a soft paste. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until you have a loose batter.
Pour batter into hot beef drippings and return to oven. After 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and bake 15-20 minutes more, or until pudding is golden and puffed all around.
Remove from oven, yell for everyone to get to the table immediately, cut into generous-sized portions and serve.
