Hey everyone, I could use some help! My partner from Sunderland is visiting me here in the US for Christmas, and I’m planning to make a traditional Christmas roast. I really want to nail the Yorkshire pudding, but I’m a bit unsure. Some recipes call for beef fat drippings, is it okay to use chicken drippings instead, or do I even need to use drippings at all?
If you have any reliable Yorkshire pudding recipes or tips, I’d greatly appreciate it! Also, any suggestions for roast potatoes would be awesome. I’ve got a couple of weeks to practice, so any advice would be really helpful.
Yes, you definitely need drippings, but they don’t necessarily need to be mixed into the batter, unless you’re using prime rib or beef drippings for that exceptional flavor. Using chicken drippings should be reserved for making gravy or a pan sauce.
For non-beef dinners, I typically use a combination (equal parts) of fresh bacon fat, butter, and light olive oil or vegetable oil. This blend consistently works well for me. Just use the amount of fat specified in your recipe.
Preheat your baking dish with all the fats until they start to sizzle lightly, then pour in the batter and bake until done.
*Pro tip: If you ask your butcher, they often have prime rib fat trimmings available this time of year, sometimes at a low cost or even for free. Render these trimmings to save the fat, which is perfect for making Yorkshire puddings or roast potatoes, and it’s especially handy when cooking lean cuts like filet mignon that lack natural fat.
As a Brit, I make Yorkshire puddings every week, and they’ve earned me at least two separate (though joking, I think) marriage proposals. Here’s my foolproof recipe:
Start by pouring vegetable oil about a centimeter deep into a muffin tin, and place it in the oven while your roasts are cooking. Preheat the oven to at least 210 degrees Celsius.
Keep your eggs and milk straight from the fridge.
Crack your eggs into a measuring jug, use about one egg per person you’re serving. For a batch of 10-12 muffin-sized puddings, four eggs usually work well. Note the volume.
Measure an equal volume of plain flour, I use a separate identical jug and line them up because I’m lazy. Some might suggest using self-raising flour, but I stick to plain.
Put the flour in a bowl, add the eggs, and beat with an electric whisk.
Measure out the same volume of milk as your eggs, use semi-skimmed milk (I’m not sure what the equivalent is in American terms), which removes the need for mixing milk and water.
Add the milk and beat with the electric whisk until everything is well mixed.
About 20 minutes before your roasts are done, take the muffin tin out of the oven and pour the cold batter into the hot oil, dividing it evenly between the pans.
Bake for 20 minutes at 220 degrees Celsius. Avoid opening the oven door while they cook.
For roast potatoes, start by parboiling them until a knife can easily slip into them. Drain and then shake them in the pan to fluff up the outsides.
Next, add the hot potatoes to cold fat, use a generous amount of whatever you have on hand. I prefer vegetable oil since I often cook for vegetarians, but goose fat or beef dripping works great too. Place them in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius and roast for about 45 minutes until they’re golden and crispy.
It’s not fancy, but this method comes straight from my 92-year-old grandma and is as authentically British as it gets minimal fuss in a busy kitchen.
Oh, and from my experience, I wouldn’t recommend using chicken drippings. Potatoes cooked with chicken often don’t crisp up or brown properly. For the best results, cook them separately.