Forget everything you thought you knew about Yorkshire puddings (unless you’re actually from Yorkshire).
Because not only have you been making them all wrong – you’ve been eating them at the wrong point in the meal.
MailOnline Travel spoke to Luke French,co-owner and chef at JÖRO,a Michelin guide restaurant in Sheffield,South Yorkshire.
He notes that 'in Yorkshire' the correct,traditional way to eat a Yorkshire pudding is as a first course before the main event.
That's right,Yorkshire puddings are a starter,not a side dish.
Luke says: 'I personally prefer a big,tray-baked Yorkie. Really tall and crispy around the outside. I love how the bottom with the big surface area (when cooked in a large tray) collects all the fat and is almost a tiny bit undercooked.' Above - file image
It states: 'The pudding would have originally been cooked beneath the meat (usually beef) in a large,shallow tin and then cut into squares to be served,rather than the individual puddings you can buy in supermarkets today.'
Luke offered his top cooking tips for those who want to try making proper Yorkshire puddings successfully.
He advises: 'Only ever make your mix with a whisk and a spatula – no blending allowed. Do not pass the mix through a sieve – some lumps are good!
'Never weigh the ingredients. Only make the batter with volumes – for example,take a cup or bowl and measure using this,equal parts whole milk,plain flour and good quality rich-yolk eggs.'
His tactic for getting the perfect rise?
Luke says: 'Use a heavy roasting pan,get it absolutely raging hot in the oven first.
'Then I always use roasted liquid beef fat (tallow) instead of oil (oil is fine,but beef fat tastes way better). Get the fat very hot in the preheated tray then add the batter,cook until golden brown and tall and crispy.
'Let them sit in the tray for a minute or two before removing from the tray or they may flop.'
He also adds some sneaky ingredients to his batter.
Give them a try if you want chef-standard puds.
Luke told us: 'I always add a pinch of caster sugar,English mustard powder,salt and MSG to mine. This helps with colour,but more importantly flavour.'
If any Yorkshire puddings go spare then you can also serve them up as a dessert - another traditional use for these Northern delights.
Luke notes: 'I like them standalone with custard (proper vanilla custard – but we make it with miso and duck fat in the custard) – trust me,it's next level. Ice cream is unbelievable,too.'
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