Mushroom, spinach & ricotta Yorkshire pudding
SERVES 4
FOR THE BATTER
2tbsp sunflower oil
225ml whole milk
4 large eggs
115g self-raising flour
½tsp fine sea salt
FOR THE FILLING
400g spinach, washed 1tbsp sunflower oil
50g unsalted butter
400g chestnut mushrooms, finely sliced
1 small onion, finely sliced ¼tsp freshly grated nutmeg
250g ricotta
125g pecorino cheese, finely grated
100g mozzarella cheese,
torn into small pieces
1 Preheat the oven to 250°C/230°C fan/gas 9. Pour the oil for the batter into the base of a medium roasting dish (about 30 x 20cm) and put into the oven to get very hot.
2 For the batter, put the milk and eggs into a jug and beat together. Combine the flour and salt in a bowl and add a generous splash of the liquid ingredients. Whisk to form a smooth, thick batter, then slowly pour in the remaining liquid, whisking as you go. By this time the oil should have got very hot in the roasting tray, so drop a little of the batter in – if it sizzles, the oil is ready. If not, leave the tray in the oven until it is hot.
3 Pour the batter into the tray and return it to the oven.
Bake for 20-25min, until the Yorkshire pudding has puffed up and is deep golden around the edges.
4 Meanwhile make the filling. Heat a dry frying pan over a high heat and add the spinach. Cook, stirring, until the spinach wilts down, then tip it into a sieve set over a bowl. Add the oil, butter, mushrooms and onion to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms soften – you need to ensure all excess liquid has evaporated from the pan. Remove the pan from the heat.
5 Squeeze out the excess moisture from the spinach and discard its liquid.
6 Put into a bowl together with the mushrooms and onions, and add the nutmeg, ricotta and pecorino cheese. Season to taste.
7 When the Yorkshire pudding is golden and puffed up, remove it from the heat and scatter the filling over it – you might need to press the pudding down in the centre if it has ballooned up completely. Scatter the torn mozzarella on top of the filling. Return the tray to the oven for 10-15min, until the mozzarella cheese has melted. Serve immediately.