Depending on who you listen to, Britain’s favourite dish is either chicken tikka masala or pizza. Well excuse me, but really? Most people I’ve spoken to have said that the traditional Sunday roast is their favourite dish and it’s certainly one of mine. And part of it just has to be Yorkshire pudding. Which brings us to The Great Book of Yorkshire Pudding.

Recently published, The Great Book of Yorkshire Pudding takes a look at this British culinary institution, including its history and folklore, myths and myriad uses. Although a mainstay of British cooking for almost 300 years, Yorkshire pudding has an uncertain provenance and it seems that there is no one, definitive, recipe. In attempt to address this, The Great Book of Yorkshire Pudding contains a couple of recipes for Yorkshire pudding, one of them for the perfect Yorkshire pudding as devised by the Royal Society of Chemistry, no less; another is Lemm’s version of the perfect recipe.

As well as recipes for solo Yorkshire pudding, The Great Book of Yorkshire Pudding also contains recipes for Yorkshire pudding dinners, such as chilli-filled Yorkshire pudding and toad in the hole with onion gravy. There is also a section with recipes for a full Sunday lunch roast, including perfect roast potatoes and a rather good sounding rhubarb crumble to follow. Although maybe not the thing to follow a full-on roast, there are even a couple of sweet Yorkshire pudding recipes and for mid-week, some hints and tips for left-over pudding and batter.

The Great Book of Yorkshire Pudding has information on what equipment to use, recommended suppliers, and even some trouble-shooting tips for when Yorkshire Puddings won’t rise – don’t you just hate it when that happens?

While The Great Book of Yorkshire Pudding isn’t trying to change the world, it is a handy reminder of what a simple and versatile dish Yorkshire pudding is. In terms of the recipes, there probably isn’t anything that an accomplished cook won’t already know, but for those with less experience, particularly anyone wanting to tackle a full roast, this is definitely a useful purchase and one that can help this traditional dish survive and flourish.

{ISBN:1905080808}

The Great Book of Yorkshire Pudding is published by Great Northern Books.

You can order a signed copy either by calling 01274 735056 or visiting the website at www.greatnorthernbooks.co.uk