Changeling Family Cookbook

Changeling Family Cookbook
proceeds to benefit
Save the Quiet Kitty Fund
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2007 Save The Quiet Kitty Fund

In England, no Sunday Dinner is complete without a couple of Yorkshires. My brother routinely piles his plate high with them. My young cousin eats them with 'special gravy' -- AKA instant minestrone soup -- poured over. Best served as an accompaniment to a roast dinner, including plenty of roast potatoes and gravy; or you can bake them with sausages and make toad-in-the-hole, as below. Serves four (unless you're my brother, in which case it serves one).

Ingredients:
80g (3 ounces) plain flour
1 large egg
80ml (3 fluid ounces) milk
80ml (3 fluid ounces) water
Salt and pepper, to taste
Couple of ounces of fat (traditionally, dripping from whatever meat you're roasting should be used, but if you don't have any, or don't eat meat, or just think it's gross, then whatever cooking fat you use will do just fine -- I usually use olive oil)

Preheat oven to 230°C (450°F). If you are making individual puddings, you'll need a cake/muffin tray. Pour some fat into each pan (this is not exact, use 3-4 tablespoons for each pudding and don't stint!). You can also make large puddings in a pan about 6-8" across.

Mix the milk, water and egg together in a jug. Then sift the flour into a large bowl, and make a well in the middle. Pour a little of the liquid into the well, and stir it gradually, trying not to touch the sides: the movement of the liquid will bring the flour in and make the well bigger. Add the rest of the liquid a bit at a time until there's no more flour left, and you have a smooth batter.

Put the baking pan into the oven without the batter in it. The fat needs to be hot before you start cooking the batter. If it starts to smoke, then take the pan out, and pour the batter in. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until the puddings have risen and are golden brown.

Serve with a roast dinner of lamb, beef or chicken, with gravy, peas, roast potatoes and carrots.