Chef explains how long to chill Yorkshire pudding batter

While there’s a national debate about whether Yorkshire puddings should be served on every roast dinner they’re undoubtably one of the best parts.

The side dish makes the perfect casing for a mouthful of pure bliss when smothered in gravy.

And, the larger kind adds a chewy, soft element to every bite.

But, while many of us love to add a Yorkshire pud to our dinner they can be tricky to get right.

And, if you’ve ever ended up with a soggy mess, or even a dense pancake, instead of a pud then we’ve got some tips for you.

Chantelle Nicholson, chef patron at Tredwell’s in London and group operations manager for Marcus Wareing Restaurants, told the Mirror her top Yorkshire pudding advice.

And, her number one secret is how long she rests the batter.

We know, you might have been whacking the pudding mix straight into the pan – but that prevents the fluffiness.

Long time Yorkshire pudding makers may even feel they have the rest the mix overnight, but Chantelle says there’s no need!

She only rests her batter mix for half an hour.

Simply mix together equal parts egg, flour and milk with a hand mixer and then pop the batter into a bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes.

To get perfect roasties you should then heat your oven to a steamy 210 degrees and fill a muffin pan with vegetable oil up to about the half way point.

Let the oil heat up in the oven for 15 minutes until it’s burning hot.

Then, when your batter has chilled for 30 minutes take it out and pour it straight into the hot oil.

The chef said: “Season the mix well and blend until smooth, using a stick blender. Pass through a sieve into a jug.

“With the muffin pans still in the oven (if this is possible, otherwise just be quick, and don’t spill oil on yourself!), pour the batter to the top of each mould.”

Make sure there’s a baking tray under your muffin tray to catch oil spillages and then shut the door and bake for 20 minutes.

Listen carefully… do not open the door while they’re cooking. Ever. As this will cause them to deflate.

Chantelle added: “After 20 minutes, open and check they are cooked all the way through (no soggy bottoms) then remove the trays from the oven.

“You can strain off the excess oil and reuse it too.”

Oh, we can smell those perfect puds now…

Get all the biggest Lifestyle news straight to your inbox. Sign up for the free Daily Star Hot Topics newsletter

What’s your favourite roast tip? Tell us in the comments…