In a new article for The Conversation, Hazel Flight, Programme Lead for Nutrition and Health at Edge Hill University, debates whether Yorkshire puddings belong on your Christmas dinner.
Christmas dinner is considered by many to be the best meal of the year and yet when it comes to deciding what this meal should consist of people’s opinions often differ.
For some there will never be a centre piece that can replace the turkey, although often there are additional meats included such as roast ham, beef or pork, alongside roast potatoes, Brussel sprouts, pigs in blankets, bread sauce and stuffing. And of course, there are those who are vegetarian or vegan and prefer a nut roast.
Then there’s the Yorkshire pudding. For somea must-haveon Christmas day while for other more traditionalists it seems a Yorkshire puddingshould go nowhere neara Christmas dinner.
To understand the origins of the Yorkshire pudding Christmas dinner debate we need to turn the clock back to the time when the original pudding was first created.
The origin story
Prior to being given the prefix of Yorkshire in 1747 in thebestselling cookbookThe Art of Cookery Made Plain and Simple by English cookery writer Hannah Glasse, a Yorkshire Pudding was simply known as a “batter” or “dripping pudding”.
Theoriginal serving of the Yorkshire puddingwas as an appetiser to a main meal, usually with gravy. This was because it would fill you up, meaning you wouldn’t eat as much meat, which was expensive. It was originally cooked in northern England over a fire with the meat roasting above it. The fats and juices from the meat would drip into the pudding and provide flavour and colour.
Traditionally, the word “pudding” referred to homely and rustic desserts that were commonly eaten by the lower classes. These could be either sweet or salty. Pudding dishes are mainly made with flour and have a cake-like consistency. Other savoury puddings include –steak and kidney puddingandsuet pudding.
The Yorkshire Pudding is a baked pudding made from a batter of eggs, flour and milk or water. It has become a common British side dish which is versatile and can be served in many different ways – although mainly recognised as an accompaniment to a roast dinner. Yorkshire puddings were originally made by tipping the batter into the fat around the roasting meat, but progressed over the years to be giventheir own square dish.
The smaller circular puddings we are more familiar with today date back to Hannah Glasse’s original recipe, in which spoonfuls of batter were dropped into fat surrounding the meat – and often referred to as Yorkshire puffs.
When you look at the individual ingredients that make up a Yorkshire pudding they arequite healthy. But the way they are cooked is another matter.
Eggs, for example, are considered one of themost nutritious foods on the planetand contain protein, vitamin B2, B6, B12, zinc, iron and selenium. Milk is also nutrient rich in both protein and fat along with calcium. While flour canprovide you with micronutrients. For example one cup of flour includes one gram of thiamin (vitamin B1), which is 85% of your recommended daily intake.
Traditionally Yorkshire Puddings are cooked in fat or dripping. A small amount of fat is essential in our diets as it’s a source of essential fatty acids, which the body cannot make itself. Buttoo much fatcan lead to weight gain.
Vegetable oils such as sunflower can also be used as they reach very high temperatures. There has also been debate as to whether olive oil can be used, however as long as it’s agood quality, trueolive oilit’s fine.
Recipes and ideas
As well as being a roast dinner side dish, thesehumble puddingsare ideal for a cheap and filling family supper. The batter can be turned into puffy pizza bases, fluffy wraps and impressive toad in the holes.
It would also appear that Yorkshire pudding style dishes are now eaten all over the world.Japan serves themwith anything from cheese to jam and with soup.The popoveris the US version of the Yorkshire pudding, which dates back to 1850. While Germany and the Netherlands makeDutch Babieswhich is a flat Yorkshire pudding with berries and sugar on top.
Back to the original debate then – should we or should we not have a Yorkie with our Christmas Dinner? If you are a strict traditionalist, then technically you should steer clear. It’s unlikely that Yorkshire puddings were included in the firsttraditional Christmas dinnersbecause they had not yet been invented. Though it should also be noted that neither would one have expected to seepigs in blanketson an early Christmas dinner plate. Despite often being considered a Christmas staple, they’ve only been around since the 1950s.
So I would say, why not include the Yorkshire pudding, food trends are always changing and modernising. Indeed, Christmas dinnerdates back to medieval timesand has been evolving ever since.
You could even dress these puddings up for the Christmas table –Yorkshire Pudding canapesanyone? While any left over batter could also be used to make a toad in the hole with turkey and gravy – or even topped with cranberries and ice cream – it is Christmas after all.
If you are a strict traditionalist, then technically you should steer clear. It's unlikely that Yorkshire puddings were included in the first traditional Christmas dinners because they had not yet been invented.
Originally, the Yorkshire pudding was served as a first course with thick gravy to dull the appetite with the low-cost ingredients so that the diners would not eat so much of the more expensive meat in the next course.
Christmas dinner in the United Kingdom usually consists of roasted turkey, stuffing, gravy, yorkshire puddings, pigs in blankets, bread sauce, redcurrant jelly, roast potatoes; vegetables (particularly Brussels sprouts, broccoli, carrots, and parsnips) with dessert of Christmas pudding, mince pies (both served with ...
Yorkshire pudding, a baked bread pudding of British origin that is usually served as an accompaniment to roast beef. The centerpiece of an old-fashioned British Sunday lunch, roast beef was typically cooked on a spit in a fireplace until the introduction of modern ovens to the kitchen.
Traditionally, Yorkshire children opened doors without knocking and began singing the popular carol 'God rest ye merry gentlemen'. Then, the children would ask if anyone wanted to look inside the box. If no-one did, they would simply leave.
Each family member was supposed to stir the mixture from east to west to honour the journey of the Magi. This ritual was also thought to bring the family luck in the coming year. Originally the puddings would have been shaped into a sphere and boiled in a cloth.
History. The popover is an American version of Yorkshire pudding and similar batter puddings made in England since the 17th century, The oldest known reference to popovers dates to 1850. The first cookbook to print a recipe for popovers was in 1876.
Thanks to Historic UK, I find out that its origins are not exactly known, but that the general consensus is that it's a dish associated with the north of England because the prefix “Yorkshire” was first used in a publication by food writer Hannah Glasse in her 1747 book The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy.
A Yorkshire Tragedy tells the shocking story of a 17th Century murder in Leeds and retells it in the intimate setting of the Great Barn, Titchfield from 22 – 31 July 2024. Published in 1608, the play originally carried an attribution to William Shakespeare.
That was always roast turkey and all the trimmings. “Usually it was homemade sage and onion stuffing, Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts, sometimes parsnips and carrots – it varied year to year – mashed potatoes and roast potatoes, homemade gravy, then Christmas pudding with brandy sauce.
But instead of very large parties and gatherings, the Victorians saw Christmas as a family occasion. Most Victorian families had roast goose for their Christmas dinner, wealthy families ate beef, venison and turkey, often served with a chestnut or veal forcemeat stuffing.
The secret to crisp Yorkshire puddings is to get both the tin and fat piping hot. There should be a sizzle when you pour the batter into the hot oil. The batter will immediately start cooking, resulting in higher and crispier puds.
The name "dripping pudding" was established by Sir Alexander William George Cassey in his book The Whole Duty of a Woman. The dripping pudding was referred to by early chefs as similar to pancake batter and perfect for making while the meat was cooking in the oven; it was a perfect accompaniment of roasts and meats.
The pudding would have originally been cooked beneath the meat (usually beef) as it was roasting on a spit above a fire. This position would have meant that the fats and juices from the meat could drip onto the batter pudding, flavouring and adding colour.
Well Christmas pudding (also called plum pudding, Christmas pudd or Christmas pud) is traditionally the main dessert served with Christmas dinner in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and other countries, but it's origins are very much British. Plum pudding is a very rich dessert which is boiled or steamed.
Some people serve it as a first course with gravy before a roast dinner, others serve it with the roast dinner. Yorkshire pudding is the base for Toad in the Hole, a meal in itself served with potatoes, vegetables and gravy. You can serve Yorkshire Pudding alongside most casserole/stew dishes.
Yorkshire Puddings are typically served as a savoury side dish, often accompanying a traditional Sunday roast beef dinner. They are meant to be paired with rich meat and gravy, making them an essential part of a hearty meal. Pancakes, on the other hand, are versatile and enjoyed in various ways.
Choose from roast beef rump or slow-cooked pork loin for mains, both paired with Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables and red wine gravy. Sunday lunch in York has never been so historic.
Introduction: My name is Dr. Pierre Goyette, I am a enchanting, powerful, jolly, rich, graceful, colorful, zany person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
