Yorkshire Pudding

The history of the Yorkshire pudding is shrouded in mystery, the English national dish of Roast Beef and Yorkshire Puddings is recognized across the world but its origins are virtually unknown. The first ever recorded recipe appears in a book, The Whole Duty of a Woman in 1737 and listed as A Dripping Pudding - the dripping coming from spit-roast meat. The next recorded recipe took the strange pudding from local delicacy to become the nation's favorite dish following publication in The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy by Hannah Glasse in 1747. As one of the most famous food writers of the time, the popularity of the book spread the word of the Yorkshire Pudding. 'It is an exceeding good Pudding, the Gravy of the Meat eats well with it,' states Hannah.

Mrs Beeton may have been Britain's most famous food writer of the 19th century but her recipe omitted one of the fundamental rules for making Yorkshire pudding - the need for the hottest oven possible. The recipe was further wrong by stating to cook the pudding in advance before placing it under the meat an hour before needed. Yorkshire folk blame her error on her southern origins.

Because of the popularity of this gem of a roll, recipes began to spring up for a main meal base, like toad-in-the-hole or as a container for other fillings both sweet and savoury, like a stew or with fruits.