Yorkshire Pudding (2 variants)

Sunday roast staple. Two variants — Simon's lean European-style 1-1-2 ratio (lighter, more puffed) and the meatier Grandma's version with beef drippings. Both work in the AFO at full convection blast.

Heat: 0/5.

Variant A: Simon's (lean, eggy)

Ratio: 1 part flour : 1 part milk : 2 eggs (per ~6 muffin-tin puddings).

Ingredients:

• 110 g plain flour (farinha de trigo)
• 220 ml milk (leite integral)
• 2 large eggs
• Pinch salt
• Beef drippings or vegetable oil for the tin (~1 tbsp per cup)

Variant B: Grandma's (American style)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (125 g) plain flour
• 1 cup (240 ml) milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup (240 ml) beef drippings (or sub with melted lard / vegetable oil if no roast running)

Method (both variants)

1. Make batter. Whisk eggs in a bowl until well-blended. Stir in milk, then flour and salt. Whisk to a smooth, pourable batter (consistency of cream). Rest the batter 30 min at room temp (or up to 4 hr in fridge — better rise).
2. Heat the tin to scorching. Place a 6-cup muffin tin (or popover tin) in the AFO. Add ~1 tbsp dripping/oil to each cup. Preheat at 220°C convection / 450°F until the fat is shimmering and almost smoking — 10 min.
3. Pour fast. Pull tin out (use mitts). Pour batter into each hot cup, filling half-way. The fat should hiss aggressively. Get tin back in oven within 30 sec.
4. Bake undisturbed. 220°C convection, 25-30 min. Do not open the oven for the first 20 min — the rise depends on undisturbed heat.
5. Done when they are deeply golden, dramatically puffed, and crisp on the outside. They will deflate slightly on cooling — that's normal.

Notes

• The hot-fat-into-which-batter-goes is THE technique. Cold tin = no rise.
• Beef drippings = traditional — saved from a roast. Lard is the classical sub. Oil works but flavour-flat.
• Tin choice: 6-cup muffin tin gives 6 medium puddings. A 12-cup gives smaller, taller ones. Forma de muffin metálica (avoid silicone — doesn't conduct enough heat).
• AFO mode: convection bake at maximum. The "air fry" mode also works but is more aggressive — watch from minute 20 to avoid over-browning.
• Keep oven door closed. First peek at minute 20.
• Variant A vs B: Variant A puffs higher (more air bubbles per egg-density); Variant B is denser, more pancake-like inside. Try both.
• Freezer: cooked Yorkies freeze beautifully. Reheat from frozen at 200°C convection 5-7 min — they re-crisp.
• Serving: roast beef + gravy; or solo with butter and golden syrup (childhood treat).