Pudding from the North Country

Saucy Claus – What is up with Yorkshire Pudding this time of year? And what exactly is it; Pudding or bread? – Not an Anglophile

Yorkshire Pudding isn’t really a pudding in the sweet, thick crème brûlée type sense of the word, instead the popoverish side dish is made from a thin batter, similar to a pancake batter – all the usual suspects are there: milk, flour and eggs. Rather than the breakfasty additions of sugar and spice, the Yorkshire Pudding, which uses fat drippings from the roast, is baked until fluffy and light, the texture is somewhere between a soufflé and dinner roll.

In the days of hearth cooking, the pudding was made by placing a large pan underneath a piece of meat where the batter would catch the drippings from the roast. That and being closer to the heat source would produce a meaty flavored, caramelized treat that was usually served before the roast – both to curb appetites and fill people up with less expensive ingredients. And because of the heat, the pudding was done well before the roast was cooked. The current custom is to make the puddings muffin shaped and serve smaller portions on a plate, replacing the starch in dinner.

Before Yorkshire Puddings became popular Christmas fare, there was a Yorkshire Christmas Pie. An elaborate dish - an archived recipe of the dish from 18th century called for 4 lbs of butter to go in a thick pastry encrusting a boneless turkey, which had been stuffed with a goose, squab, hare and/or woodcock. I’m not saying the puddings became popular at Christmas because they were easier to make or because they contain the word ‘Yorkshire’ in the title, but those who study such things assert that many of the holiday food customs in the states are based on the traditions of the colonial settlers from Northern England and Scotland.

Or Yorkshire pudding could be popular holiday fare because they are very practical. The recipe of 6 ingredients can be prepared hours in advance. After the roast has been removed from the oven, it needs to rest before it is served. In those intervening minutes – the batter can go in the hot oven and be pudding before the carving. Leaving plenty of time to steam asparagus while enjoying a little nog, wassail or claret.

For a holiday that really isn’t a major deal, there is something about the 25th of the month that makes me get all English about things: I want Roast Beef, Yorkshire Pudding, Steamed Veg and Trifle for dessert on Christmas. I don’t quite understand the craving for, of all things, English food. Maybe the combination of Dickens along with the immutable Anglo food customs shape my hunger. More important than a cultural zeitgeist shaping my appetite, December is by most accounts, a bit hectic. A straightforward meal that doesn’t require thought but offers a satisfying rewards is about the best thing Santa can deliver.