Yorkshire pudding in a roasting tin, instead of small individual ones. Any tips?

[thereistheball]

My mum always made Yorkshire pudding in a big roasting tin, so you could choose whether to have a crispy bit or a soggy bit (YUM). Does anyone else do this, and can you give me any tips? I've heard that the secret is not to open the oven door once you've put it in? My mum had an Aga which might have helped - I'll be using MIL's oven, once the beef has been taken out (so I'll have about 30 minutes while it rests). Is this going to work?

Yes I do this, and make Toad in the Hole in a big tin.

Get the pan, with oil in it red-hot before you put the batter in, and yes, don't open the door while it's cooking!

Tillymintspy is right. You need the pan to be really hot and so it is a good idea to prepare it by heating it (with oil in) on the hob first unless you have the time to put it in a really hot oven before cooking them. If you are going to put it on the hob, it is not a good idea to use a non-stick coated roaster or it will blister and you will have to throw it away.You would be better off using an enamelled roaster or an anodised aluminium pan. I came across a customer who used a large heavy duty 'Tarte Tatin' dish for Yorkshires a few years ago. It is basically a handle-less frying pan and can certainly take the heat.

i would consider adding more eggs than you maybe usually do as i've found that improves the texture a lot for a big pudding. For toad in the hole I would use 5 or 6. Also lard not oil and the oven turned up very high. 30 miuntes will be plenty.

Reindeer am interested in this. I use Delia's recipe which is one egg but am never totally happy with it. Would you add extra eggs but keep the quantity of flour, milk and water the same?

My mother always used more eggs than normal because my sisters and I were fussy buggers and wouldnt eat eggs normally!
Her yorkshire puddings are to die for and she usually makes me an extra large one because im a greedy git!

I always get the oil smoky hot first and allways end up with good results, however I did once try heating on hob and ended up cracking the dish! Whoops

Oh fabulous, thanks very much everyone. Will go with Nigella recipe with an extra egg in it for puffiness. Much appreciated!

I think I might have a go at Nigella's on Sunday. Will report back.

Hugh Fearnley Wittingstall uses this method and I always use his recipe. Similar to the one above but he also adds extra egg yolks to the mix.

Please do report back, it would be really good to know how long it takes and how many eggs you recommend.

I have bitten off more than I can chew with Christmas dinner this year, as it were. I'm looking forward to it, but can't practise any of it as I don't have an oven, or prepare anything in advance as I live abroad and am cooking in MIL's (inadequately stocked, eg no wooden spoons let alone roasting dishes or measuring scales) kitchen. So all advice v welcome!

Yes I keep the other amounts the same approximately - i don't weigh it just do it by sight and aim to achieve a thick creamy texture. I used to just use one egg - like my parents and their YPs are rubbish. So I started going up and found it a revelation! I suspect the increase in eggs improves the surface tension or something and that just makes it better?

i use a proper old fashioned yorkshire recipe

4 eggs

13 oz milk

6 oz plain flour

seasoning

heat a sort of cake tin type thing but not the sort with a loose base, with oil until very hot

pour in and cook for about 40 minutes on very high

works if you like yorkshire which is cake like!

I just made some.

4oz plain flour
3 eggs (medium to large)
1/2 pit of full fat milk

This quantity makes eight 10cm tall muffin sized puds.

Oven at top whack
Oil in pans in oven while it heats up until oil is spitting. I used olive oil-get me.

Pour the mix quickly into the tin and get it straight back in the oven.

Turn down oven after a good five mins.

The dial on my oven is broken so I don't know the exact temps.

After about 30 mins in total beautiful towers of fairly hollow but substantial yorkies. I brought them into the living room to show off. I keep them in the freezer like ABs.

I was thinking about making one big massive fuckoff one for Christmas Day. See their little eyes light up...