A giant breakfast-style Yorkshire pudding holding bacon and eggs; but you could take it further and add sausages, tomatoes, fried onions and more. (Photo: Tony Jackman) 
This recipe accompanies this column
A single Yorkshire, made in a cavity of a large muffin pan, is intended as a single portion and traditionally would be filled with the gravy that also goes with the beef roast to follow. You’d eat the Yorkshire pudding first, then go on to the main event.
But a Yorkshire can be the main event itself too. The other day I made a giant Yorkshire pudding for breakfast and it came out so big it could have served four. No, I didn’t eat the whole thing, tempting as it was.
So, if you make this, do it for the family or friends, and also grill a few sausages, fry some tomatoes, and caramelise an onion or two. The Yorkshire should be big enough to accommodate the lot, and you can serve it on a platter in the middle of the table and dole it out.
This recipe will make six Yorkshires (in a large muffin pan) or a couple of regular ones plus a giant breakfast Yorkshire baked in a cake tin. You’ll need:
Ingredients
4 large eggs
300 ml full cream milk
200 g plain flour, sifted
1 tsp salt
½ tsp white pepper
Cooking oil
1 muffin pan
1 very hot oven preheated to 270℃ or the highest your oven will go
Method
Preheat the oven to 270℃ for at least 20 minutes. I’d wait for half an hour, just to be sure.
Once the oven is hot, put a tin muffin pan in, and/or a larger suitable metal tin (such as the square cake tin I used). Leave it to heat for at least 15 minutes.
Beat the eggs, and measure the milk and flour separately.
Sift the flour into a bowl with the salt and white pepper.
Add half of the milk and all of the beaten eggs and whisk thoroughly until the batter is very smooth. Add the remaining milk and whisk again until smooth.
Pour the mixture into a pouring jug if not already in a container with a spout. Set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
Remove the pan/s from the oven and add a little oil to each muffin cavity. About 1 Tbsp per muffin cavity or about 3 Tbsp for a larger tin. Return to the oven for 15 minutes.
When the oil is smoking hot – literally smoking – remove, close the oven door to prevent heat escaping, and quickly pour the batter into each cavity equally. Waste no time, not a second.
Return to the oven immediately, and close the door. Turn the heat down to 240℃ or 230℃. They may take up to 20 or 25 minutes, depending on your oven. Best to peek through the window with the oven light on.
In the meantime, fry some bacon and eggs, sausages, tomatoes, onion et al and serve them in the big, proud, preening Yorkshire. DM/TGIFood