Yorkshire Pudding, Stuffing Pie and Fox Hunting

Fox Hunting is no longer legal in Britain.

It is, of course, still perfectly legal to put on the pretty red jackets and go madly galloping across the countryside on horses, blowing horns.

And, of course, it's still perfectly legal to bring your pack of dogs along for the exercise.

It only makes sense, in order to keep everybody on course, to lay out a trail for the dogs to follow.  The horses then follow the dogs.

And if the dogs happen to start a fox and chase it, well, that's just natural, too, now, isn't it?

Of course, one mustn't allow them to kill it.

It's still legal to kill the fox with guns, though.

But, as I said, Fox Hunting has been banned in Britain.

They don't put such fine points on it here in the French countryside.  It's legal, it's active and the girls and I are staying indoors this weekend. 

Not that I'd worry about Emma.  Being mainly white she'd be mistaken for one of the Charolais.  But little brown Sedi...could be a deer!

I don't know if anyone ever actually shoots anything.  I don't see many deer here and only an occasional fox.  I would be very happy if someone would reduce the rabbit population. 

I've also never seen anyone walking past hauling dead game.   I do know that if it's killed it will be eaten.  This is France, after all....we don't waste food!

Speaking of wasting food....Anyone have leftovers?

But first - if you have never made Yorkshire Pudding to go with a roast....Shame!

It's so easy and so delicious. It's a bit tricky with a small roast; as it's supposed to be made with the fat from the roast and there may not be enough.

Yorkshire Pudding

1 cup flour
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbs beef drippings or butter or combination
2 tbs beef stock

In medium bowl whisk the eggs. Add the milk, flour and salt. Let rest 10 - 30 minutes. When beef is almost done, remove and get some drippings.  Put drippings/butter and stock in a baking dish.  I use a 10 inch (25cm) square.  Heat the baking dish in the 425F (215C) oven (the same as for roast) until butter (if using) is melted. Remove and pour in pudding batter. Immediately take beef out and put pudding in. Oven door should not be opened while pudding bakes. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375F (190C) and continue baking 12 - 15 minutes more, until golden and puffed up. Remove and serve immediately.

Now, the leftovers:

What to do with the leftover roast beef?

Chunky Beef Hash

2 potatoes
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 - 2 cups leftover roast beef, cut into small pieces
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tbs beef stock
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp thyme

Cut potatoes and carrots into large bite-size pieces and steam for 15 minutes over medium-high heat, until vegetables are just tender. Chop onion and celery and mince garlic.  Heat 1 tbs oil in large nonstick skillet over medium - high heat. Add onion and celery and sauté until tender, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes longer. Add carrots, potatoes and beef. Stir-fry until vegetables are lightly browned.  Add Worcestershire sauce, thyme, stock and ketchup and heat through, stirring constantly, 2 - 3 minutes over medium heat. Serve.

Leftover turkey and stuffing?

Stuffing Pie

1 - 2 cups turkey,  cut into smallish pieces
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 - 2 stalks celery
1 - 2 carrots
any other left over veg in the fridge  (I used some Brussels sprouts, sliced)
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1/2 cup leftover turkey gravy or chicken stock plus 1 tbs cornstarch (maizena)
1 tbs Dijon-style mustard
1 tbs dried sage
leftover stuffing - 1 1/2 - 2 cups or more...
The rest of the gravy on the side (can never have too much gravy)

Chop onion and garlic. Slice celery and carrots into thin rounds. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add paprika and sauté 1 minute. Add all vegetables and sauté 10 minutes, until they start to get tender. Add gravy cover and simmer for another 10 minutes, until vegetables are cooked through. (If you are using chicken stock you will have to thicken it with cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbs water.) Stir in mustard and sage. Add turkey to vegetables. Put turkey and vegetables into a baking dish. I use a 9 inch (22.5cm) square. You want it to be just big enough to hold the meat plus the stuffing. Break up the stuffing and spoon on top.  Bake at 375F (185C), until heated through and stuffing is starting to brown, about 20 minutes. Gently heat any additional leftover gravy in a saucepan. Serve with gravy on the side.

By the way, Sedi, the Bunny Slayer, will eat turkey but will not touch chicken.  I could leave a  whole raw or cooked chicken laying on the floor next to her and it would be perfectly safe.  Not even so much as a lick. She will eat potatoes, carrots, green beans, oranges and apples.  I actually have to put the potatoes on a high shelf in the pantry or she snitches.

Emma would not touch a fruit or vegetable for all the beef bones in the world.  But, good girl that she is, she eats Sedi's portion of chicken scraps! 

And she eats 2-week old dead rabbits....

Comments

[meredith]

I've never made Yorkshire pudding and it definitely looks like something I could eat all by myself in a single serving dish :)

[MyKitchenInHalfCups]

I make pop overs often and I think they're much the same only no beef! Guess that's not the same. Dad used to make the popovers with bacon grease but then that's no more healthy than beef fat or butter is it.
I never have leftover to cook after a roast. Gorn wants extra gravy to eat all the leftovers with.
I think I need to roast a turkey. Holiday meals away from home don't result in any leftovers.
Guess I'm a little wacky this am.
I love the yorkshire pudding! The fox thing is funny. We've talked about that many times.

[Lynn]

I love that name - "Sedi, the bunny slayer." We have a wannabe squirrel slayer in our house. The only time he actually managed it was when a baby fell out of the tree into his mouth!

[Lydia]

Hunting season here in Rhode Island means deer, mostly, and wild turkeys. Makes me want to stay inside, or at least on my own land. That roast beef hash looks yummy; I'm definitely going to try it. I occasionally make corned beef hash for brunch, but yours looks really delicious.

[Jeni]

You are so full of great food ideas - I love it. I've never made Yorkshire pudding and it looks heavenly!

Aren't dogs funny. You were right, they know what is good for them and what is not and each one is different. Aren't they joys?

[Katie]

Meridith, when I make it, it's just with beef and a veg...and we eat the whole thing!

Tanna, they are the same as popovers, with the beef drippings/stock. Isn't that fox hunting ban a hoot?

Lynn, we had a bird fall into our cat's mouth once...hit a window and dropped straight down. The expression on the cat was priceless!

Lydia, I love corned beef - not available...although we get something like corned pork?!? I like to stay in on hunting days.... especially after a French lunch! (on the part of the hunters)

Jeni, dogs are a hoot! I love to toss something 'awful' like a lemon to Emma - it always goes right in...and comes right back out!

[Nora]

Hi Katie,

It must be great to have Sedi and Emma around. I love yorkshire pudding, but never seems to make it as much as I'd like.

I'm sorry if I haven't been commenting as much as I used too, it's been rather hectic, but do know that I am still a big fan of your blog, esp your humour :-)

x nora

[ZaZa]

I've never actually made Yorkshire Pudding, only had it in restaurants here that specialize in "Prime Rib." I like it when it's cooked for me, but actually putting that amount of grease into something is kind of off-putting. /;+))) I'll eat it, but I don't want to know about it.

Regarding potato-eating animals, at least I'm assuming Emma and Sedi are four-legged, have you seen this hysterical tale of the sweet potato-eating dog??? I've never had animals that wouuld steal something that might be good for them, although I've had a couple cats that would kill for chocolate. Dummies.

[Kevin]

It has been a while since I have had yorkshire pudding. I will have to make them sometime soon.

[arfi]

We are allowed to hunt ducks in Winter here in NZ. We don't have fox. Talking about hunting and Britain takes me back to a novel I love reading: The Innocent Traitor, about the Lady Jane who had had 9 weeks (or months) reign in English Kingdom before she was killed for not giving up her faith to become a Catholic under the command of Queen Mary. Hunting can be quite a sport back then, but it can be really a yucky activity, all that blood and things. Anyway, I haven't made yorkshire pudding yet, should do that next year.

Have a very merry Christmas and a great happiness for the coming New Year 2008, Katie. Cheers from NZ!

[steamy kitchen]

I made Yorkshire puddings in muffin tins, a recipe from the Cooks Illustrated website - It was SOOOO easy. I wish the beef fat would be easier to come by - so I could make the Yorkshire puddings more often without having to make a roast too!

[núria]

Hola Katie! Don't tell me about leftovers... I'll be eating them till next year... ah! thank god that will happen soon!!! These days I just feel like eating salads though, I will bookmark all these delicious recipes for march-april when my belly has gone back to "normal".

I'll be off for NEW YEARS PARTY!!!! So happy new Year 2008 and see you next Year!

[Deb]

Yum, Yorkshire Pudding was a Christmas favorite when we had lots of folks for dinner up north. Now here in the south there are fewer of us at the table, and since it is so warm out, we do Christmas dinner on the grill. But yes, Prime Rib without Yorkshire Pudding is like well, cheesecake without the cheese!
No leftovers here!
Good idea to stay indoors with Sedi and Emma! They probably do not mind!

[Shayne]

I swear that I am not coping your blog at all, but our posts are too similar. I made Hash a few weeks ago with my left over pot roast and I am working on the Hash post to be my next blog post.

The pudding looks great but I have never had Yorkshire pudding so what do I know.

Hunting season has come and gone here and I did get on meal of venison, and it was WONDERFUL! And the kids shoveled it in.

Great read Thank you Katie

[gattina]

Seems Emma fighting for a bunny-title from Sedi huh...
even I am not a big fan of turkey, still can't stop myself drooling over your stuffing pie! Boy, it really sounds good!
Happy New Year Katie!

[Katie]

Nora, I know how that whole hectic life thing works... If I only had a few extra days in each week - that no one else had!

ZaZa, they are, indeed, 4-legged. And that was hilarious - thanks! (Both of them eat grapes off the vines when we're picking, too.)

Kevin, it's so easy - I don't know why I don't make it more often...

Arfi, I know that story, er, bit of history. I could never hunt myself but I'll happily eat what someone else has shot...and dressed!

Steamy Kitchen. try substituting half stock and half butter - or even olive oil...or nothing and just call them popovers hahaha!

Nuria, Happy New Year! Do you have your grapes peeled?

Deb, Yorkshire pudding with barbecued steak - yeah, doesn't seem quite right, does it? Fortunatly hunting is only 2 days a week - we just never know what 2 days!

Shayne, great minds and all that. Yum, venison!

Gattina, Happy New Year to you too - and do YOU have your grapes peeled?

[Wanda]

I make a similar dish as your chunky beef hash. It is soooo easy because you just use up all your leftovers. Sweet potato is a nice addition.

Just love Yorkshire pudding. My mother used to make it in a large roasting tray but nowadays most people seem to make them individually which is a nice touch.

[Katie]

Wanda, sweet potatoes would be excellent! They are usually quite 'cher' here so I don't buy them often - but I love them!