What does Yorkshire pudding stand for?

Answer 1

To a person from Yorkshire, Yorkshire Pudding might stand for good old Yorkshire and its culinary traditions. It is eaten and loved by English people everywhere, and by those to whom they've taught the art of this delicious accompaniment to roast meat.

Generally speaking, a Yorkshire Pudding is usually cooked in the oven where you're cooking roast meat (traditionally beef). It is a basic batter (plain flour, milk, eggs) mixed and left to stand half an hour. Meanwhile, put some beef dripping, or a couple of tablespoons of fat from the roast, into an oven pan (a cake tin can be used, about 5cm - 2in - deep) and put in the oven until it's smoking hot.

Now take the tin out of the oven and carefully pour in the batter. Return to the top shelf of the oven and leave to cook with the roast. When the roast is ready and set out to rest and the Yorkshire Pudding is nicely browned and crisp on top (it isn't meant to rise, but it will puff up a bit) remove it to the bottom shelf and turn the oven down; leave it ten minutes or so while the roast meat rests and you make the gravy.

Serve all together, usually with roast potatoes and a green vegetable. A wonderful way to spend a long Sunday lunch! Leftover Yorkshire Pudding can be eaten cold or reheated in pan or grill with a slice of good Cheddar cheese and a bit of gravy if there's any left.

Yorkshire Pudding can puff up a lot, or stay fairly flat. My mother's would frequently puff up so much she'd have to push it down to get it out of the oven: this was a matter for great family rejoicing while we all waited for it to arrive at the table.

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