This is little gem of a recipe is an excellent standby, it can be made in seconds, the ingredients are inexpensive and used for breakfast or as a pudding or just to go with a cup of tea. Sweet or savoury fillings work.

Ingredients

Makes 12 popovers

  • 110g flour
  • 2 eggs, free-range and organic
  • 300ml milk
  • 15g butter, melted

Filling

Jam and Cream

  • 1/2 pot homemade boysenberry, tayberry or loganberry jam
  • 150ml cream, whipped
  • icing sugar, to dust

or

Smoked Salmon, Grilled Scallions and Crème Fraiche

  • c400g smoked salmon sliced into 28 thin slices
  • 4 – 6 tablespoons crème fraiche
  • 24 scallions grilled ( see recipe)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Grilled Scallions
I think the unexpected flavours here are delicious. You will need to be brave when grilling the scallions as it is crucial to leave them under the grill for long enough for them to both

  • 24 fat scallions trimmed of any tired outside leaves ( I leave the root end on)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Heat oven to 230c / 450f
  2. Sift the flour into a bowl, make a well in the centre of the flour and drop in the eggs. Using a whisk, stir continuously, gradually drawing in flour from the sides and adding the milk in a steady stream at the same time. When all of the milk has been incorporated, whisk in the cool melted butter. Allow to stand for one hour.
  3. Brush a 12 piece (deep) muffin tin/tray with pure beef dripping or a tasteless oil and heat in the oven for 2 minutes. Remove the hot tin from the oven and immediately and carefully pour in the batter as evenly as possible. Bake for 20 minutes approx. or until golden brown and crisp. Remove from the tin onto a wire rack to cool.
  4. Fill with a blob of homemade raspberry jam and whipped cream and a dusting of icing sugar or with a blob of crème fraiche, slices of smoked salmon and grilled scallions (see recipe).

Grilled Scallions

  1. Preheat the grill element in your oven, or failing that, preheat an oven to the highest heat possible, although the direct heat of the grill produces the best result.
  2. Toss the spring onions in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and place under the hot grill. Cook them until completely tender by which time some of the spring onion ends will have become slightly charred. This is crucial for the finished flavour of the dish.
  3. This takes about 7 minutes under my grill, it might take longer in yours, but it is unlikely to take less time. I turn them with a tongs 3 or 4 times during the cooking to ensure a good result.
  4. When the spring onions are sufficiently tender and coloured, remove from the sheet and allow to cool to room temperature, though they are very good served warm.