Happy Yorkshire Day 2021

Yes, I know I’m a day late and Yorkshire Day is actually the 1st August, but I thought I’d celebrate anyway by making a toad-in-the-hole, which consists of sausages cooked in Yorkshire pudding batter. This is one of my favourite dishes and being from Yorkshire you would think that I would make a good Yorkshire pudding, however it is usually a disaster. It is in the oven as I write so I do not yet know whether I will enjoy success today, but I will photograph my efforts once cooked.

Why 1st August?

The date alludes to the anniversary of the Battle of Minden, a major engagement during the Seven Year War, fought on 1st August 1759. Soldiers of the 51st Regiment of Foot, a Yorkshire regiment took part in part in the battle, with reports of them picking white roses and wearing them in their hats in memory of fallen comrades.

The date is also the anniversary of the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, for which a Yorkshire MP, William Wilberforce campaigned.

What is Yorkshire Famous For?

In celebration of ‘Gods Own Country’ here’s a quick look at what it is famous for:

• Yorkshire puddings, the first recorded recipe was written in 1737.
• Yorkshire Tea, which was granted a Royal Warrant by Prince Charles in 2009.
• Wensleydale cheese, made famous by Wallace and Gromit, though many other types of cheese hail from Yorkshire.
• Marks and Spencers started on a stall in Leeds Market.
• The Bronte Sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne, who between them published: Agnes Grey, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.
• The world’s first football club, Sheffield FC, established in 1857 and still playing today.
• Dracula’s birthplace, after Bram Stoker stayed in Whitby in 1890; finding inspiration for his novel in the magnificent surrounds.
• The world’s first steam locomotive was built by Matthew Murray in Holbeck, Leeds in 1790.
• Stainless steel, which we now use everyday was discovered in 1913 by Harry Brearley in Sheffield.
• Finally, the Yorkshire accent, with its long vowels and dropped consonants, which recently led to it being voted the friendliest and most trustworthy accent in the UK.

Above are just a few of the things that Yorkshire is known for, but there are many many more. Below are some of my photos from my most recent trip home in 2019.

Toad-in-the-Hole Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 500g beef or pork sausages
• 3/4 cup plain flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tbsp rosemary leaves, chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200^oC. Pour oil in to 25cm x 35 cm deep roasting pan. Place in to oven for 5 minutes or until hot.
2. Add sausages to hot oil and bake for 10 minutes, turning after 5 minutes, or until lightly browned.
3. Meanwhile, add flour, salt, eggs, milk and rosemary to a large bowl and whisk well.
4. Remove roasting pan from oven. Carefully pour the batter over the sausages.
5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until puffed up and golden.

I promised pictures and amazingly this time my Yorkshire pudding was successful. The trick I have found is that the oil needs to be very hot when you add the batter mixture.

Serve with gravy and veggies … delicious!

I hope you enjoyed learning a little about my home. I miss it dearly and wish I could visit, but circumstances mean it will likely be a year or two yet. It was nice to spend a few minutes looking back at photos and researching for this article though.