Bisto Premium Yorkshire Puddings

...later) - it has the Bisto logo prominently on the middle of the label and underneath and to the left were the words Premium Yorkshire Puddings and to the right "savour the flavour". There was a picture on the label of the 'serving suggestion' which was two Yorkshires on a plate with cabbage and some sliced carrots (what did they think I was going to serve with it, egg, beans and a fried slice?!).


I opened the box ...
...puddings would have a meaty Bisto gravy flavour to them, however there was no mention of Bisto gravy or any meat being an ingredient, only the usual suspects of flour, egg, milk and gluten.

These puddings are really easy to re-heat, the instructions say to remove them from the packaging, place them on a baking sheet and place them at the top of the oven for around 4 minutes although if you like your Yorkshires to be really crispy, ... more

Do you remember one of the sketches on the Fast Show was a wife nervously asking her husband if he'd remembered to buy some basic item at the shops only for the husband to reply that, no he hadn't, but he had bought a birthing chair and a subscription to Greenhouses Monthly? Well, the Boyf isn't quite that bad but it was still with some trepidation that I rang him from work asking him to grab something from the shops for dinner that evening.

Wondering what delights could be lurking in the carrier bag - and how on earth I could possibly combine them to make an edible dinner - I gingerly peeked inside. The boyf had done well! Alongside some really nice lamb and fresh broccoli was a pack of six pre-made Yorkshire Puddings (a cunning plan to have a mid-week Sunday dinner I think!). Breathing a sigh of relief I knew that unlike the tinned tuna, tinned ravioli and mini pitta bread incident I would be able to make a nice dinner so I despatched the Boyf to the living room with a much deserved cup of tea and choccie biccie whilst I donned the apron and set to work.

The Yorkshire puddings were in a hinged plastic box - bottom half black and top half clear which was secured by a big burgundy colour sticky label. The lip of the box had little grip tabs which locked together so you could safely store them back in the fridge without risk of them toppling out and spilling on to your floor. The label was in my opinion a teeny bit misleading (more on that later) - it has the Bisto logo prominently on the middle of the label and underneath and to the left were the words Premium Yorkshire Puddings and to the right "savour the flavour". There was a picture on the label of the 'serving suggestion' which was two Yorkshires on a plate with cabbage and some sliced carrots (what did they think I was going to serve with it, egg, beans and a fried slice?!).

I opened the box quite easily and were faced with six of the most impressive pre-cooked Yorkshire puds I have every seen. All six were a mottled deep golden brown colour, each measured 3.5" across and 1.5" tall and each had a really deep well in the centre which if you wanted you could fill with thick onion gravy, chutney or whatever takes your fancy. The puddings were not in the slightest bit greasy to the touch and smelt like a freshly roasted potato. There was a slight meaty smell to the puddings so I read the ingredients and this is where I feel the 'Bisto' 'savour the flavour' part on the front is misleading - I expected that the puddings would have a meaty Bisto gravy flavour to them, however there was no mention of Bisto gravy or any meat being an ingredient, only the usual suspects of flour, egg, milk and gluten.

These puddings are really easy to re-heat, the instructions say to remove them from the packaging, place them on a baking sheet and place them at the top of the oven for around 4 minutes although if you like your Yorkshires to be really crispy, keep them in for longer. I always pop pre-cooked Yorkshires straight onto the top rack of my oven as I find if they sit on a baking tray you end up with a soggy bottom so this is how I cooked the Bisto puds so cannot tell you how they would have ended up if I cooked them exactly to their instruction. Once they had been in the oven for exactly four minutes I removed them and found they had turned just a shade darker. I could tell they had just the right amount of crispiness by gently tapping them in the oven rack - they made a dull tapping noise so in my opinion, they were ready!

Now we're at the most important part - the taste test. The top half inch of the pud was a darker brown and very crunchy, it gradually got softer towards the bottom until the base which was a pale golden colour, deliciously soft and squishy and not greasy. They still had the roast potato smell to them and a slight roast potatoey and peppery taste. The top part cut well - no shattering happened - and the bottom part tore more than cut as it was softly springy. They were easy to chew and despite the top part being crunchy I didn't end up cutting the roof of my mouth as has happened in the past with other makes. The taste wasn't overpowering and it wasn't bland either, I've had some pre-made puds in the past that don't really taste of much but there was something about these, maybe it was the just-to-perfection light and crispiness or the seasoning was spot on but these were lovely.

The sell by date on the pack was for a fortnight after we had bought them and we kept two in the fridge for another day. We had the remaining two four days later with our Sunday dinner and rather bizarrely, they seemed to taste slightly stronger on this occasion and even nicer! When I opened the box there was condensation in it, however this hadn't soaked into the puds so they still cooked with no hint of sogginess. My Gran makes one large absolutely fabulous Yorkshire and there are always slices left over afterwards which we eat spread with jam - don't say 'Eugh!' at the back, it's the same ingredients as a pancake and it's delicious! - but as these puds have a slightly peppery taste this may not go so well if you want to have one or two with a sweet topping for your desert.

~ Other information for you ~

The pack weighs 180g and contains 6 pre-cooked Yorkshire puddings.
Each pudding is 74cals and has 3.3g of fat.
They can be frozen.
They can be cooked from chilled in 4 minutes, 4-5 minutes if frozen.
They cannot be microwaved.
At the moment these are quite hard to find, the Boyf bought them in Somerfield for £1.29 a week ago and you can purchase them on-line at Tesco's but I expect other stores to be stocking them soon.

~ My Final Thought ~

I daresay many of you will be split on this and those of you that can cook a perfect Yorkshire will not want to buy these. Whilst I can roast a joint of meat, parsnips and potatoes to absolute perfection the 'cook a perfect Yorkshire' gene has evaded me. I have tried for 10 years and I cannot master the art of them no matter how hard I try - I have read and tried many different recipes but to no luck resulting in mine ending up in the bin so for me, these are something that will be bought again. Plus, they are what some people call 'rustic looking' so you can claim you cooked them from scratch anyway!

~ And finally, a little bit of history for you ~

Yorkshire Puddings were originally served as a first course for people who couldn't afford (much) meat.

'True' Yorkshire men and women will always eat their Yorkshire puddings before the main meal, a throw-back from the day of one particular Viking raid. The story goes that one small village in Yorkshire was paid a visit by a large group of Vikings, however, as it was mid-day the women of the village were serving lunch - veg, Yorkshire pudding and beef - and assuming the Vikings were simply visitors and obviously not clocking the helmets with the big horns on, they served them some food. The legend has it the Vikings were won over by the Yorkshire puddings and decided not to do their usual pillaging and plundering and so spared the village (and the women). Unfortunately, they loved the Yorkshire Puddings so much they ate them all, leaving none for the irate villagers who advised the Vikings to go over the hills to Lancashire where they could pillage to their hearts content!!

Yorkshire folk were not skilled in the art of weaponry so they developed a batter which could be used as a weapon. It would be thrown raw at the face of the enemy to blind them, thrown into the throat and it would choke them. Deep pits were dug and filled with batter then covered with leaves for a sticky trap. If baked until tough black and hard it could be used to even greater effect as a projectile weapon, and even as shields!

Bisto is part of the Centura Foods Group, which is a subsidiary of RHM Food Service .

 

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