Kirsty Cheetham, head chef at The Swine Bistro in Headingley, is Yorkshire-born, Yorkshire-trained, and obsessed with getting it right. Her method – including resting the batter overnight, no salt (controversal), and a hot-fat steam trick – has earned her two Observer Food Monthly awards and a recent spot in The Good Food Guide’s Top 100 Local Restaurants.
Kirsty has spent years perfecting her recipe and her tried-and-tested method promises the perfect rise, the crispiest edges, and the fluffiest middles – a proper Yorkshire Pudding, just as it should be.
Her recipe highlights Include:
· Never using salt
· Resting the batter overnight
· Creating steam in the oven
· Roasting in hot fat for maximum flavour
‘If there’s one thing we take seriously in Yorkshire, it’s our Yorkshire Puddings’, she says.
‘They’re the star of the Sunday roast, aren’t they? A proper Yorkshire Pudding holds its own against anything else on the plate and never surrenders to lashings of gravy. In my opinion, it’s the crowning glory in batter form.’
Kirsty Cheetham’s Yorkshire Pudding Recipe
Makes approximately 12 (using a muffin tin)
Ingredients:
· 10 eggs
· 1 pint full-fat milk
· 1 lb plain flour (never self-raising)
· Fat (ideally a mix of chicken, lamb, and beef fat – approx. 1 tbsp per pudding)
Method:
1. Make your batter the day before – like all good Sundays, you need time to rest.
2. Whisk the eggs and milk together by hand (never with a blender), then slowly pour the mixture into the flour and whisk until smooth.
3. Refrigerate overnight.
4. Remove from the fridge a couple of hours before cooking to let the batter come to room temperature. Give it another whisk before using.
5. Preheat the oven to 220°C and place a tray of water on the bottom shelf to create steam – this helps form those signature fluffy middles.
6. Use a muffin tin for generous, show-stopping puddings. Add the fat to each compartment and heat the tin in the oven for around five minutes until the fat is bubbling hot.
7. Fill each mould halfway with batter.
8. Bake at 220°C for 25 minutes, then reduce to 190°C for a further 10 minutes.
9. Do not open the oven door at any point – or risk instant deflation!
‘You’ll notice I don’t add salt – which might seem controversial for a chef,’ Kirsty explains. ‘But through testing and looking at the science, I’ve found that salt can inhibit the rise by breaking down the egg proteins. I rely on the fat to bring all the flavour to the Yorkshire Pudding party.’
Kirsty has twice been named recipient of The Observer Food Monthly’s “Best Sunday Lunch” award and recently led The Swine Bistro into The Good Food Guide’s Top 100 Best Local Restaurants – so it’s fair to say she knows a thing or two about Yorkshire’s most beloved dish.
The Swine Bistro recently launched its first Sunday lunch service, available every Sunday from 12pm to 4pm, with prices starting from £25.
Swine Bistro is located opposite the Arndale Centre on Otley Road, Headingley, and is open Wednesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. Bookings can be made at theswinebistro.co.uk
