Popover pans

I'm escalating the Yorkshire pudding wars by buying an American popover pan.

I read a review of them in a foodie magazine while in Missouri earlier this month but didn't have time or space in my case to buy one there so have now ordered an import via Amazon.

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The article praised the open space around each individual pan as assisting the pudding inside to rise higher and straighter. It also suggested putting a reflective surface above it to help in cooking the top.

I saw this pan design some years ago at Jordan Pond House on Bar Harbour island, Maine, and they make thousands of perfect popovers (first time I came across that name also).

We alternate with good friends to cook Sunday dinner and when its beef we've been trying to outdo the other with our Yorkshire puddings.

I'm hoping this will put me in an unbeatable lead. Wish me luck!

[Robin Garr]

Mary, who is a popover queen, has a set like that and loves them!

(Added via edit: Never heard of the foil reflector treatment, though. It really hasn't been necessary.)

They work great for Popovers. No idea about pudding.
Agree with Robin about the foil reflector as well.

[Robin Garr]

No idea about pudding.

I took Peter to be talking about Yorkshire Pudding, which I take to be basically a big popover.

No idea about pudding.

I took Peter to be talking about Yorkshire Pudding, which I take to be basically a big popover.

Ah, once a hick, always a hick.

[Robin Garr]

Ah, once a hick, always a hick.

No need to be sayin that kind of thing about Peter ...

They have hicks in England?

No idea about pudding.

I took Peter to be talking about Yorkshire Pudding, which I take to be basically a big popover.

Ah, once a hick, always a hick.

Only popovers I've encountered are those at Jordan Pond House but they seem to be identical to Yorkshire Puddings (YP). YP are traditionally served with roast beef here in UK. They can be made in any size, depends on pan. The popover was made in deep narrow pan so you get a tall narrow popover.

Pubs here sometimes serve YP cooked in wide diameter (6-8 inches) pan so you get a circular pudding with high rim and they serve slices of beef and gravy in that.

Use a large baking tray, add partly-cooked sausages, pour in the batter and bake and you get Toad in the Hole.

Batter is basically flour/milk/egg but we all have our secret recipe. Hence the Yorkshire Pudding Wars where my friend and I try to outdo each others YP

Here's a picture of someone very successfully using that pan:
http://bakingbites.com/2010/11/huge-yorkshire-puddings/

From my reading of historical cookbooks and historical cookbook websites, it appears that the original format for a Yorkshire Pudding was to fill an entire oblong pan with the batter and set it in the hearth under a joint of meat revolving on a spit above. The warmth in the hearth cooks the batter slowly while the fat and juices drip into it from above.

I like how that manner is echoed by the pubs that make a dinner-plate-sized pudding and use it as a trencher.

Yes, Jeff

And then to serve the meat juice flavoured YP first to blunt appetites in order to 'stretch' expensive meat.

And then to serve the meat juice flavoured YP first to blunt appetites in order to 'stretch' expensive meat.

Just what the Italians used pasta for. YP as the English pasta!

[Robin Garr]

Just what the Italians used pasta for. YP as the English pasta!

Or just about all peasant cultures, I guess. Asian fare and rice, anyone? (I have read, and have no reason to doubt, that the Chinese and Indian regional cuisines that we view as extremely hot and spicy come into more rational perspective when consumed in the very high proportion of rice to highly seasoned meat that the average person could afford.