Marco Pierre White's yorkshire puddings

The celebrity chef lifts the lid on how to make the perfect Yorkshire Pudding.

Galen Clarke / The National

Whenever I travel I like to take a little bit of Britain with me. I adore British food. When I go to America I ask for HP Sauce and they give me A1 - it drives me mad.

Maybe I should start travelling with HP Sauce, that and other things I can't live without, such as Colman's Mustard & Horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce.

At least Yorkshire Puddings are something I can knock up wherever I am in the world. Being a Yorkshire man, I make them an essential part of my diet.

In Yorkshire we eat Yorkshire Puddings as a starter with onion gravy (see recipe). In my view this is by far the best way to appreciate them. We've been eating them that way since the early 18th century. There is a recipe for "a dripping pudding" in a book called The Whole Duty Of A Woman, which was published in 1737.

I wouldn't have anything to do with a woman who couldn't appreciate a good Yorkshire Pudding or two.

They are of course most famous for being part of the great British Sunday Roast - a tradition that I am pleased to say is still going strong at home and abroad.

So if you want to do what people outside Yorkshire do, cook up some roast beef to go with them.

I have a foolproof method for this; you'll just need a meat probe. Put your beef in a hot oven (around 180 degrees Celsius). When the centre of the meat reaches 44 degrees take it out and wrap it in lots of tin foil. Leave it to rest in a cool place. Because the heat can't escape it will continue to cook. When the meat probe gets to between 48 and 52 degrees (after between 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how rare you like your meat), unwrap it and carve. Perfect roast beef every time.

Think of me as you sit down to enjoy your great British Roast, and don't forget the horseradish sauce.

Marco Pierre White Steakhouse & Grill in Abu Dhabi is offering a sumptuous three-course meal every Sunday from 7pm-midnight for Dh275. For more information or to make a reservation, call 02 654 3238 or e-mail [e-mail]

MAKE IT YOURSELF

Yorkshire Pudding
INGREDIENTS
200g plain flour
200ml milk
200g eggs, whisked
Salt & pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS Mix the egg and flour to a paste, free from lumps, then incorporate the milk. Season with salt and pepper and pass through a sieve. Bake in pre-heated oiled Yorkshire or muffin trays at 185°C for approximately 25 minutes. When browned on top, turn out onto a cooling rack.

Onion Gravy
INGRIDIENTS
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp plain flour
500ml beef stock or pan drippings 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce Salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS Cook the onion in the oil and butter in a pan over medium-high heat until the onion is browned. Add the flour and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the stock or pan drippings and Worcestershire sauce and simmer until the gravy has thickened (about 10 minutes). Season with salt
and pepper.

SERVES 6