Perfect Yorkshire Puddings and Nigella Lawson
Without Prejudice
I love stodgy English food, taught to me my Granny Wilsher who was the worlds best expert in Yorkshire Puds. I love watching Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver, but have never seen them make Yorkshires like my Gran or Aunty Betty. There is a trick to it, a secret, that they both swear by.
Glad at this stage that Nigella Lawson is getting a quick divorce from that awful Charles Saatchi, my sister and I decided what was shown on the photos for the public, was just the tip of the Iceberg Lettuce as to what she was putting up with in Private.
It's good in that more people realise that domestic violence is not just for the poor but can be suffered at the hands of famous, wealthy men, too. Bullying creep. As if he shouldn't be happy being so famous, well regarded and rich. But then domestic violence and control usually lies in an unhappy childhood. Something went wrong. But I won't bore you with my favourite soap box material, today.
I made bubble and squeak today, and last week made Yorkshires. They are made in Yorkshire pans, proper Yorkshire pans, usually about 4" in diameter, round of course, not made in a square pan and cut into slices, I have no idea where that method of making Yorkshires comes from. You end up with a soggy salty pancake and a good Yorkshire is small, crispy, brown and served with a traditional thin gravy called Ash. Hot sauce like Dads Favourite or H. P. is served as an accompaniment.
It is to die for.
Make the batter, I like Marco Pierre Whites quick basic recipe. A glass of flour, a glass of eggs, a glass of milk. Pans can be heated at that stage but I'd wait till later. Each round pan, ( they usually come in a tray of four ) are traditionally heated in the oven with a teaspoon of lard, but I use good olive oil.
I put in a pinch of salt in my batter and then an ice cube and place in the fridge for half an hour. Then take it out, it's good to make the batter in a jug for easy pouring. Then add a but more icy water or ice cube and beat with your whisk. This (the fridge thing ) I think relaxes the gluten, thinning it. You are looking for a thin runny batter, smooth and the whisk will do that. The consistency should be that if a runny custard.
The pans should be hot, the lard or oil almost smoking, and pour a small amount in the bottom of each round. Pop into a very hot oven and they should rise very quickly and be crisp brown and risen. You can turn them over if you want but whatever you do, don't open the oven during cooking or they will sink like a soufflé. Make a thin hot gravy, the Yorkshire traditionalists have little bit of meat in theirs but I find a good brown onion gravy is just as good.
Make it a thin gravy, pour over your Yorkshires and serve as a first course. The joint or roast is your main course, traditionally Roast Beef with mashed potatoes and Brussel sprouts. You can have vegetable you desire. The English are not that find of our pumpkin and prefer turnip, swede, fresh peas, cabbage or marrow, squash, which I find really tasteless.
The reason behind serving the Yorkshires first is that in the old days there wasn't much money around. Especially in the mining families, like my relatives. So the joint or roast was small and the Yorkshires were served first to fill all those hefty meat eating men up, so they wouldn't scoff all the meat, or complain about there not being enough. If you are not too stuffed after that, apple pie and cream or ice cream is the traditional dessert.
It was always served on a Sunday lunch time and then the men go off to the Pub, sometimes the women too for a port o gaff, closing was always at three and then everyone goes home and falls asleep in front of the telly. Cold meat and salad for tea if you can fit it in, maybe a fish and chip supper at 9 pm. With mushy peas, cod as the fish, chips with a few crispy bits, a pickled onion , bread and marge on Hovis bread, more brown sauce and a few cups of hot tea.
If you are not dying of being stuffed by this stage, there is always a horlicks before bed and a Penguin biscuit. When I was in the U. K. From the ages of 12 to 16 , I went as a skinny swimmer and came back a whale. Took me months to get all that Yorkshire Pud off my frame and a lot of going without and a lot of walking. I never wanted to see a steamed dim sim again. Urgh.
Love Janette
I love stodgy English food, taught to me my Granny Wilsher who was the worlds best expert in Yorkshire Puds. I love watching Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver, but have never seen them make Yorkshires like my Gran or Aunty Betty. There is a trick to it, a secret, that they both swear by.
Glad at this stage that Nigella Lawson is getting a quick divorce from that awful Charles Saatchi, my sister and I decided what was shown on the photos for the public, was just the tip of the Iceberg Lettuce as to what she was putting up with in Private.
It's good in that more people realise that domestic violence is not just for the poor but can be suffered at the hands of famous, wealthy men, too. Bullying creep. As if he shouldn't be happy being so famous, well regarded and rich. But then domestic violence and control usually lies in an unhappy childhood. Something went wrong. But I won't bore you with my favourite soap box material, today.
I made bubble and squeak today, and last week made Yorkshires. They are made in Yorkshire pans, proper Yorkshire pans, usually about 4" in diameter, round of course, not made in a square pan and cut into slices, I have no idea where that method of making Yorkshires comes from. You end up with a soggy salty pancake and a good Yorkshire is small, crispy, brown and served with a traditional thin gravy called Ash. Hot sauce like Dads Favourite or H. P. is served as an accompaniment.
It is to die for.
Make the batter, I like Marco Pierre Whites quick basic recipe. A glass of flour, a glass of eggs, a glass of milk. Pans can be heated at that stage but I'd wait till later. Each round pan, ( they usually come in a tray of four ) are traditionally heated in the oven with a teaspoon of lard, but I use good olive oil.
I put in a pinch of salt in my batter and then an ice cube and place in the fridge for half an hour. Then take it out, it's good to make the batter in a jug for easy pouring. Then add a but more icy water or ice cube and beat with your whisk. This (the fridge thing ) I think relaxes the gluten, thinning it. You are looking for a thin runny batter, smooth and the whisk will do that. The consistency should be that if a runny custard.
The pans should be hot, the lard or oil almost smoking, and pour a small amount in the bottom of each round. Pop into a very hot oven and they should rise very quickly and be crisp brown and risen. You can turn them over if you want but whatever you do, don't open the oven during cooking or they will sink like a soufflé. Make a thin hot gravy, the Yorkshire traditionalists have little bit of meat in theirs but I find a good brown onion gravy is just as good.
Make it a thin gravy, pour over your Yorkshires and serve as a first course. The joint or roast is your main course, traditionally Roast Beef with mashed potatoes and Brussel sprouts. You can have vegetable you desire. The English are not that find of our pumpkin and prefer turnip, swede, fresh peas, cabbage or marrow, squash, which I find really tasteless.
The reason behind serving the Yorkshires first is that in the old days there wasn't much money around. Especially in the mining families, like my relatives. So the joint or roast was small and the Yorkshires were served first to fill all those hefty meat eating men up, so they wouldn't scoff all the meat, or complain about there not being enough. If you are not too stuffed after that, apple pie and cream or ice cream is the traditional dessert.
It was always served on a Sunday lunch time and then the men go off to the Pub, sometimes the women too for a port o gaff, closing was always at three and then everyone goes home and falls asleep in front of the telly. Cold meat and salad for tea if you can fit it in, maybe a fish and chip supper at 9 pm. With mushy peas, cod as the fish, chips with a few crispy bits, a pickled onion , bread and marge on Hovis bread, more brown sauce and a few cups of hot tea.
If you are not dying of being stuffed by this stage, there is always a horlicks before bed and a Penguin biscuit. When I was in the U. K. From the ages of 12 to 16 , I went as a skinny swimmer and came back a whale. Took me months to get all that Yorkshire Pud off my frame and a lot of going without and a lot of walking. I never wanted to see a steamed dim sim again. Urgh.
Love Janette
