When my mother was young the joint of meat was not cooked in a roasting tin, but placed directly onto the oven runner with a roasting tray underneath so that the juices could drop into the tin. The Yorkshire pudding was poured into this dish just before the rest of the meal was ready and cooked until brown on the outside, but still soft on the inside. It was served as a starter so that children were quite full before the main course. They each had a quarter of a large pudding with onion gravy. The meat was then used in other dishes during the week, ie “hash”, again with Yorkshire pudding or dumplings, or cold with pickles, bread and salad. We used a tablespoon to mix (or beat) the batter

Ingredients::

4 oz of plain flour
Pinch of salt and white pepper
2 eggs
½ pint of milk/water

Method::

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl, make a well in the centre and break in the eggs, beat to combine, while gradually adding a little milk. When all ingredients are combined and the mixture is lump free, whisk in the remaining milk with a balloon whisk or fork. The mixture should be the consistency of single cream. You can, if you wish, put the mixture into the refrigerator for about an hour and before use.

Place some dripping into a baking tin and put into a hot oven until the fat begins to smoke, then quickly pour in the batter and return immediately to the oven. Reduce the oven temperature after about 15 minutes and remove when the crust is crisp and golden brown and the inside soft.

This can be served as a dessert with double cream and golden syrup

Alternative method: whisk the eggs and milk together, put to one side for 15 minutes, sift the flour and salt together and tip into the egg mixture, whisk until fully combined, smooth and lump free. Cook as above.

Yorkshire Teacakes. I remember these from when I was young. They would always be available, stored in a large wooden breadbin. I´d have one on a morning with a cup of tea (Yorkshire of course), it would be spread thickly with butter and my Mum would always joke if I´d like a bit of teacake with my butter (as opposed to the other way round).

We had a visiter once who asked if he could have one of those fruit breadcakes! To which was retorted “Dun’t tha knaw t’ difference a’tween Yorksher teacakes and breadcakes lad? Nay lad, tha´s no Yorkshire lad, tha´s not!”. Bless.

A Yorkshire Teacake, unlike a plain breadcake, is a slightly sweat bread endowed with dried fruit and sometimes citrus peel (although less rarely). At home we would always have them toasted next to the fire, spread thick with butter and served with a cup of finest Yorkshire tea.

Ingredients

½ lb plain flour

1 tsp of salt

1 oz butter or block margarine

1 oz fresh yeast (or equivalent dried yeast)

1 tsp of caster sugar

2 oz seedless raisins

1 oz sugar

½ pint whole milk

Method:

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and rub in the fat, put to one side

Cream together the yeast and sugar – if using dried yeast, follow manufacturer’s instructions

Stir the fruit into the flour, make a well in the centre and add the creamed yeast and some of the milk

Start to mix gradually bringing more flour down into the mix and adding milk as necessary until a soft dough has formed and all the flour incorporated into the mixture

Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place until doubled in size – for about an hour

Turn out on to a floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, divide into 6 pieces kneading each into shape, and roll out until about half an inch thick

Cover and leave on the greased baking sheet to prove until double in height, and with a spongy texture

While teacakes are rising, preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius

Bake for approximately 15 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool

I am celebrating the latest reincarnation of The Recipe Blog with my Grandmother´s recipe for beef stew – a wonderfully warming and hearty stew, perfect for the cold winters of Yorkshire!

Ingredients
1 lb shin beef – diced
Seasoned flour – plain flour, salt and white pepper
2 tbsp beef dripping
2 large onions, quartered
2 large carrots and a half of a turnip, peeled and diced
1 bottle of Newcastle brown ale
10 fl oz beef stock – add more if required
10 fl oz light vegetable stock or water
2 lb potatoes – peeled cooked and diced

Method
Place the seasoned flour into a plastic bag, add the meat and shake to coat, retain flour

Add the beef dripping to a large ovenproof casserole, melt then add the onion quarters and cook until lightly browned, remove and put to one side

Add the beef and brown all over, remove beef from pan, pour dripping into a bowl and put to one side

Return the beef to the pan, adding the onions, vegetables, ale, stocks and potatoes

Bring up the boil, cover and transfer to a preheated oven, cook for 90 minutes

Mix the flour with the dripping and add to a little of the stock, pour into the pan while stirring, return stew to the oven for 30 minutes

Serve with Yorkshire Pudding or Dumplings

Handy tips

A handy tip for thickening stews or gravies in our family is to use Yorkshire Pudding Batter. Traditionally we rarely had a stew that was not served with Yorkshire Pudding in our family. In place of mixing the flour with dripping my grandmother used to make the Yorkshire Pudding batter, and ladle a little into the stew (about half a soup ladle). Then continue cooking the stew. It really added something!

The Beauty of a traditional stew is you can add any veggies that strike your fancy.

Ingredients
1½ lb bilberries
8oz puff pastry
4 cooking apples
1 bundle herbs
8oz sugar
2 tablespoons thick cream
1 egg, beaten

Method
Bake the apples and scrape out the pulp. Mix it with the bilberries and sugar. Line a pie plate with pastry, fill with fruit and sugar, and cover with pastry. Do not seal. Brush the top with beaten egg white, sprinkle with sugar and bake in a hot oven until golden brown. Gently lift the lid and pour in very thick cream.

There are several things I miss about Yorkshire, one of the main things being Yorkshire Curd Tart. It is delicious mid afternoon with a nice pot of coffee [I dont drink tea!]

Ingredients:

2 pints fresh full cream milk
2 tablespoons rennet * see notes
4 oz butter, softened
2 oz caster sugar
2 medium eggs, well beaten
Pinch of sea salt
¼ teaspoon of ground allspice
Freshly grated nutmeg – a little to taste
1 rounded tablespoon fresh white breadcrumbs
4oz good quality seedless raisins ***

Pastry case:

4oz self raising flour ****
Pinch of salt
2½ oz cold butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon of cold water

Method:

** Curds:

Put the milk into a saucepan and bring it just up to blood temperature – approximately 37 degrees Celsius. Pour it into a bowl, stir in the rennet and set aside to cool and set – preferably not the refrigerator. When the curd has set, break up the mixture a little and tip into a large, muslin-lined sieve set over a bowl. Cover and leave somewhere cool to drain for overnight – again, not in the refrigerator.

Pastry Case:

Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl, add the chilled butter and rub in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Using a round bladed knife to mix, stir in the water until the dough comes together, then turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and lightly and briefly knead until smooth. Cover with cling film and refrigerate.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and line a 1½” deep, loose-bottomed flan tin, prick the base with a fork and chill for about 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius or Gas Mark 6.

Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper and add a thin layer of baking beans or rice. Put into the oven and bake for 15 minutes, remove the paper and beans/rice and return to the oven for 5 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Filling:

Remove the muslin and curds from the sieve and tip the curds back into the sieve, press through into a clean bowl with a wooden spoon.

In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, then gradually beat in the curds, eggs, salt, spices and breadcrumbs. Stir in the raisins and pour the mixture into the pastry case.

Place on the middle shelf of an oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the filling is set and lightly golden (check after 20 minutes).

Leave to cool in the tin.

Notes:
* Rennet is an extract from the stomach of cows or sheep whish is used to curdle milk for cheese making. There is a vegetarian alternative available used in making vegetarian Cheeses.

** You may be able to purchase ready-made curds.

*** I like to soak the raisins overnight in a little brandy (stir until coated), cover and store overnight in the refrigerator. The following day, tip into a sieve and return the raisins to the bowl ready to use in the recipe.

**** If you like pastry made with plain flour, do so, but I like the pastry my mother made, so I follow her example. You can also substitute half the butter for lard, but I dislike using lard in baking and avoid when I can.

Ingredients
8 oz Plain Flour
¼ tps Salt
4 oz butter
1 oz currants
1 oz soft brown sugar – light
3 tbs milk
Caster Sugar

Method
Sieve flour and salt, rub in the butter. Add the currants and sugar. Stir in the milk and about 1 tablespoon of water. Mix to a firm dough. Knead lightly and roll to half an inch thickness. Cut into 2 inch rounds. Place on a greased baking tray, then dredge tops with caster sugar. Bake in a fairly hot oven until golden brown, approximately 15/20 minutes.