Popover Nostalgia
I have a large extended family - like cartoonishly-Catholic large. My grandparents Gloria & Gerald Eddy were brave enough to raise 12 children: Jim, Linda, Keith, Colleen, Carrie, Dick, Kevin, Brenda, Bob, Mark, Irene and Kathleen. I am 99% sure that's the right order, and I'm certain I'll get a phone call if it's not.
Growing up in rural New York with so many siblings, my mom didn't have a lot and had to share most everything (even a toothbrush), but she had enough and became someone with an incredibly strong sense of family. When I was little, we would make the 12 hour drive from North Carolina multiple times a year - many times at Easter. I got very good at being able to sleep on command. All that sleeping was essential to preparing oneself to feast.
An Easter dinner at Chez Eddy was nothing if not chaotic. Siblings catching up after months or years apart, grandchildren (we number 18 to date) running around hopped up on sugar from Penny Candy down the block and poor Gram in the kitchen just trying to get food on the table. You knew things were getting serious when you got kicked out of the kitchen. That meant that food was about to hit the table.
There is a laundry list of things my grandmother makes that make my stomach growl in anticipation, but the one thing that stands out above the rest for me is popovers. There is absolutely nothing that beats a straight-from-the oven, tender, egg-y popover smothered in gravy. Preferably beef gravy. Preferably multiple popovers.
Popovers fresh from the oven!
So, needless to say, I was a little weak in the knees when I found out Piper and Ellen's The Grand Central Baking Book had a popover recipe! Nearly identical to my Gram's, these popovers are perfect for any time of day, filled with either sweet or savory goodness. Just make sure they are piping hot.
Popovers
Makes 6 in a popover pan, 10 in a muffin tin
1 cup whole milk
3 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
Mix the batter.
Whisk the milk, eggs and salt together in a bowl with high sides until the mixture is uniform in color and slightly foamy. Sift the flour (this will help reduce the number of lumps), then add it slowly, whisking until the batter is uniform and has the texture of heavy cream. (If it's lumpy, run the batter through a fine mesh sieve.)
Let the batter rest.
Cover the batter with plastic wrap and allow it to rest on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes. (Resting isn't essential but it improves the height and finished texture of the popovers.) Preheat oven to 450°F. Once the oven is hot, put the pan into the heat until it is "hissing hot."
Bake.
Put some softened butter and a small pastry brush next to the oven. Pull the hot pan from the oven and, working quickly, brush each cup with butter, then fill it halfway with batter. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 10 more minutes, or until the popovers are golden brown and have "popped," that is, puffed up and begun to lean over the edges of each cup. Serve immediately.
As for my Gram, she will be proud to know that I am carrying on the Eddy popover tradition for her great-grandson Harlan. He is a good eater, just like his mom.
Harlan wondering where HIS popover is.
Posted by Molly Sullivan, Systems Administrator / Portland