Mini Yorkshire Pudding with Beef Tenderloin Hors d’oeuvres

I’d never heard of Yorkshire pudding until I married my husband. Growing up in New England as the daughter of Italian parents from New York City, a Sunday night dinner did not equal roast beef and the pillowy beauties known as popovers to some. However, for my husband, who grew up with traditional British parents and grandparents, a Sunday night meant a proper English supper. I remember my beautiful mother-in-law, who was the most efficient and productive woman you’d ever met in a wheelchair after polio placed her there in her teens, could successfully narrate her recipe–always yielding the most brilliant puffs of dough–to even the most novice cook. When we were dating and I was visiting from New York, I’d love being able to we’d all wait, staring at the small oven window glowing with light from within as the puddings would rise and rise and rise. I’d bet my husband would say they are the single most nostalgic and comforting dish from his childhood. He’d also tell you to never call them popovers.

Since my mother in law passed away 10 years ago, we’ve tried to replicate her Yorkshires with little success. A few years ago, Dan decided he wanted our Christmas dinner to be his traditional Sunday night supper. And every year with a table full of friends and family, we’ve brought sad, half-puffed puddings to the table. Not this year though. A few months ago, we hosted friends for dinner and Dan, once again, decided he wanted to tackle a roast and Yorkshire puddings. This time I decided to test a bunch of recipes so we had one that would work.

photos by Ashley van der Laan

My quest for a great recipe came up with the most perfect puddings. It’s by Elaine Lemm who is an award-winning food writer and author of the only book on Yorkshire Pudding and it’s only recipe you will ever need. If you follow it to a T you will always have puddings that have impossible rise, brown beautifully and are airy, delicious pillows and you can get the recipe here.

I used three eggs for these hors d’oeuvres. They measured 2/3 cup and repeated the measurment for all purpose flour and milk according to the recipe from Lemm. It made 24 mini Yorkshire puddings in my mini muffin tin. For the purpose of my holiday party, I made two batches.

Mini Yorkshire Pudding Bites with Beef Tenderloin

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Ingredients

  

• 3 large eggs measured in a large measuring cup
• all purpose flour same measured quantity of egg
• milk same measured quantity of egg
• pinch of salt

Instructions

 

• Pour the eggs and milk into a large mixing bowl and add the pinch of salt. Whisk thoroughly with an electric hand beater or hand whisk. Let stand for 10 minutes.
• Gradually sieve the same volume of flour (as the eggs) into the milk and egg mixture, again use an electric hand beater or hand-whisk to create a lump free batter resembling thick cream. Pass the batter through a fine sieve to remove any last little lumps. Let the batter rest for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to several hours.
• Preheat the oven to 450.
• Pour a ¼ teaspoon of vegetable oil into each mini muffin hole of your mini muffin tin and heat in the oven until the fat is smoking. Do this step when you have time to watch the oven carefully.
• Give the batter another good whisk adding 2 tablespoons of cold water. Carefully remove the hot muffin tin from the oven and, working quickly, fill a third of each section of the tin with batter and get it back in the oven fast but carefully.
• Cook until golden brown approximately 12 minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a large serving dish.
• Place a small piece of tenderloin on each Yorkshire pudding and then add a dollop of horseradish or creme fraiche and sprinkle with chopped parsley and pomegranate seeds. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Always be careful when handling the extremely hot muffin tin. 

Be present when you have to wait for the oil to heat before adding pudding batter. This is not a time you want to be distracted. 

Don't open the oven door when your puddings are cooking.

For the beef tenderloin:

For my tenderloin, I always follow this brilliant tutorial by Fine Cooking.