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Popovers

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johnlee1933

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I don't know how many of you like Popovers (or even know what they are). I love them. They are a great breakfast food and a tasty addition to any meal where you have to have the oven hot. The recipe is almost offensively simple. A cup of flour, a cup of milk, two eggs and a dash of salt. This is where the fun begins. Popovers rise to their crusty glory by being expanded by steam. A little grease (about the size of split pea) is melted in each cup. The batter is poured into a preheated (425°F) cast iron muffin pan's cups so each cup is 3/4's full. The pan is put back in the oven as quickly as possible. They bake for 25-30 minutes at 425. When done each popover is pierced with a table knife to allow the steam to escape. If you don't do this the popover will collapse as the steam cools.

Over many years I have made good high "popped" ones and dismal flat failures. I recently found what I believe is the secret. The milk and eggs must be above room temperature (warm to the touch). Since steam is the key factor to rising (or not) this makes perfect sense. It just took me 50 years and hundreds of attempts to dope it out. I have had about two dozen attempts since I figured this out with NO failures.

Other recipes will tell you you can use pyres or ceramic custard cups for baking. When pressed I have tried them and have not been happy with the results. The heat capacity and transfer rate of cast iron works the best for me. -·-
 

Knucklehead

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Has anyone tried Don's Possum Popover recipe? Killer good. I wish he's post it as I lost my copy.
 

Knucklehead

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Is a popover like our yorkshire pudding? If its similar im with John, love the bloody things.

I've always wanted to try yorkshire pudding. I think it comes from reading James Herriot and his days as a country vet in England. I need to try Johnlee's popovers. Are the recipes similar?
 

johnlee1933

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I've always wanted to try yorkshire pudding. I think it comes from reading James Herriot and his days as a country vet in England. I need to try Johnlee's popovers. Are the recipes similar?
No they are not the same. I have cooked both. While both are largely milk, eggs and flour they are quite different in flavor and texture. Once in a blue moon I'll do Yorkshire along with standing beef rib or a Beef Wellington. Now that I am not cooking for supper parties much I don't do it any more. Damn good tho.

Before you try popovers hunt around and get a cast iron cup pan. They still exist. Vintage ones are on Ebay for ~ $75-100. DON'T pay it. You can get one much cheaper at a flea market or tag sale. Maybe a friend will give you one for free. If you get an old rusty one no problem. I can tell you how to make it work like new (old).
 

darren1979

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I've always wanted to try yorkshire pudding. I think it comes from reading James Herriot and his days as a country vet in England. I need to try Johnlee's popovers. Are the recipes similar?
The recipes are the same, the only difference is with yorkshire puddings you only fill the tray 1/4 full with your batter so it has plenty of room for the sides to rise. Your looking for a little crispy bowl to hold your gravy.

Like John Lee said make sure the oil is hot, almost smoking, before putting in the batter and no peaking once its in the oven or your end up with rock hard frisbys.
 

Knucklehead

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What's a typical gravy recipe for the pudding?

John do you eat the popovers as is or put something on them? Butter, syrup, etc? It looks like you left out about a cup of sugar from the recipe. I ate one of those bagel things a couple years ago expecting a doughnut and my taste buds weren't expecting what I got at all.
 

johnlee1933

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What's a typical gravy recipe for the pudding?

John do you eat the popovers as is or put something on them? Butter, syrup, etc? It looks like you left out about a cup of sugar from the recipe. I ate one of those bagel things a couple years ago expecting a doughnut and my taste buds weren't expecting what I got at all.
I eat popovers any way at all. I've been known to burn my mouth on ones fresh out of the pan. Put them on a plate and cover them with a kitchen towel. They cool (deteriorate) quickly so eat them fast. (No problem in this house.) Traditionally they are eaten with butter. I like jelly also. My Grand Dad preferred bacon fat. I have seen them eaten with molasses, honey, maple syrup and one kid liked ketchup. No accounting for taste.

Gravy for the Yorkshire is the beef gravy from the standing rib. When I cook it I put the roast on an upper rack in the oven with a drip pan one level down. When it is time I remove the drip pan and put the Yorkshire under the roast. That way it drips on the Yorky as it bakes. You time it so the roast comes out to set about 10 minutes before the Yorky is done. This way you have 10 minutes to make gravy, get folks to the table, serve the wine and side dishes. Then the roast and Yorkshire pudding go on the table piping hot. Carve and enjoy. -·-
 

squeezyjohn

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Johnlee's recipe is exactly the same as mine for making individual Yorkshire Puddings.

If there is any mixture left over in our house after making a Sunday roast - we make another batch while we're eating the main course and then have them with strawberry jam and ice cream while they're still hot for dessert ... absolutely gorgeous!
 

squeezyjohn

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I thought of this thread again now as I'm cooking a toad-in-the-hole for when my kids come back from a day out in the freezing snow we're having here.

Toad-in-the-hole is basically a big Yorkshire Pudding with roasted sausages inside it. The recipe is very easy -

In a high oven, use a high sided tin to roast a packet (12) chipolata sausages with a tiny bit of oil until they are browned (about 20 minutes). In the meantime make the batter using 4oz plain flour, 1 egg, a pinch of salt and half a pint of milk - whisk it until it's smooth and then pour right over the hot sausage juices in the tin. Put back in the oven and cook for a further 30 minutes or until the toad-in-the-hole is browned and crispy on top. Serve it with green vegetables and hot beef gravy (from gravy granules in this case)

Real cold-weather comfort food.
 

Markw

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Popovers or Toad in the Hole make a fine comfort food and washed down with a nice sloe gin on a winters day is hard to beat
 

squeezyjohn

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Aha Seanz! No - Bangers & Mash is just that - sausages and mashed potato (also best with gravy)

Nobody can agree why it's called toad-in-the-hole ... but if you get it wrong and it's soggy rather than crispy we call it frog-in-a-bog.

My favourite story of how it got it's name is because of the way sausages look ... apparently it was originally "turd-in-the-hole" ... not so appetising now eh?
 

Webby

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Serve it with green vegetables and hot beef gravy (from gravy granules in this case)
Mushy peas.. yum

Think I got our tea (dinner) sussed for tonight. Got a bit of a chill in the air down this way. Perfect..
 
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