As a house guest I felt like royalty when my host served me his specialty, hot, fresh-out-of-the-oven popovers! It was a memorable breakfast. One that I would like to repeat for my guests. Before investing in Popover pans I tried the recipe in my muffin tins and I was so pleased with the results that I think I may just continue to do that instead of cluttering up my kitchen with more utensils.
It was my first encounter with this culinary delight. And I was pleased to find that popovers are neither sweet nor salty, the spreads you eat them with will define them. The first pleasure was waking up to the aroma of fresh baked bread. The second was the steam pouring out of these little treasures, gaurunteed to lift your spirits.
SOoo, you might be wondering… according to Wikipedia the term Popover is American for a classic British bread called a Yorkshire pudding. If you’re not familiar with Her Majesty’s fare don’t let that confuse you: popovers are hollow, eggy, muffin-size breads. They “pop over” the sides of the pan as they bake, forming tall crowns with light airy insides.
The secret to light and airy popovers is a very light touch in mixing and a very hot oven for baking.
In the morning, whisk together a short list of ingredients, pop the pan in to bake, and finish getting dressed. Live every moment of ecstasy as you pull the steamy buns from the oven and spoon a dollop of gourmet jam on top. Loose yourself in the layers as you slowly peel apart the flaky and crispy outside, and delve into the moist middle. They’re also great dipped in a bowl of comforting winter soup.
Here are some tips I appreciated from The Kitchn :
- You don’t need a special pan – While a popover pan does make an extra tall base, you can also use a regular muffin pan easily.
- To avoid fallen popovers, pierce their sides with a knife as soon as you take them out of the oven. The steam will escape and the airy crowns will stay proud and puffy.
- Don’t worry too much about rushing them to the table. After you’ve pierced their sides, return the popovers to the turned-off oven. They’ll be reasonably hot for another 20-30 minutes, and even better, the outsides will get crispier.
Popovers (English version)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the pan
2 large eggs
1 cup (165 g) flour
1 1/4 cups (300 ml, ie. 300 g) milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). My oven doesn’t even have that temperature, I just have to turn it to “max” and rely on an oven thermometer.
Butter 6 popover pans or 9 muffin tins.
Melt the tablespoon of butter and set it aside to cool slightly.
Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk gently. Then stir in the flour, salt, milk and melted butter until just barely blended; a few lumps are fine. The secret to light and airy popovers is a very light touch in mixing and a very hot oven for baking.
Fill six popover pans or nine muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake at 450°F (230°C) for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 350°F (175°C) and bake an additional 15-20 minutes. (No peeking! Opening the oven door in the first 20 minutes can cause them to collapse.) I pulled mine out seven minutes early after testing one and finding it was beautifully done.
When they are golden and crusty, remove them from the oven, and make a small slit in their sides with a sharp knife. Serve immediately, or return to turned-off oven.
Variations : Try adding lime zest and rosemary, or basil and grated swiss cheese, or orange zest with a pinch of sugar on top.
Recipe adapted from the Joy of Cooking by Nina Callaway.
Popovers (version française)
20g du beurre, plus 50g pour graisser la moule
2 oeufs
165 g de la farine
300 ml du lait
1/2 càc du sel
Préchauffer le four à 230°C. Une temperature qui n’existe pas sur mon four, donc je suis obligé de la monter à “max”.
Beurrer les 6 moules à popover ou 9 moules à muffins/cupcakes.
Faire fondre les 20g du beurre et retirer du feu.
Battre les oeufs à fouet. Puis ajouter doucement la farine, le sel, le lait, et le beurre, en laissant quelques grumeaux. Le secret des popovers c’est la délicatesse et la chaleur.
Remplir les moules à 3/4. Faire cuire à 230°C pendant 15 minutes. Réduire le temperature à 175°C et continue la cuisson encore 15-20 minutes. (N’ouvre surtout pas la porte du four ! Si l’air frais les touche dans les premier 20 minutes c’est sur qu’ils s’effondre.) Surveiller les bien, je les ai retiré sept minutes avant la minuteur.
Quand les popovers sont doré et croustillant, vous pouvez les retiré du four et insérer un couteau bien aiguisé sur le côté de chacun. Servir immédiatement.