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Published on April 2, 2004 in The Albany Times Union Puff daddies The perfect popover is a full-of-hot-air delight By Stacey Morris Special to The Times Union
An Air Pocket. A giant cavity. A dark and cavernous void. Perhaps it’s their precariously light texture, or the fact that they seem to be such a rarity these days. They’re not often found on restaurant menus anymore. And though the ingredients may be simple, a batch of popovers isn’t something you can just push into an oven and forget about for 30 minutes. As Dale Miller, master chef at Jack’s Oyster House in Albany, will attest, the secret to a successful batch of popovers lies in the timing – and proper oven temperature. Popovers aren’t on the menu at Jack’s, but Miller recalled the days when he’d whip up dozens of them for special event parties when he worked at Stone Ends Restaurant. “Every 20 minutes, we needed to have a batch coming out of the oven and serve them immediately because they do collapse.” Miller said popovers are American in origin and may have been a variation of Britain’s Yorkshire pudding, modified by Colonial Americans. Then there are places like New York City’s Popover Café, which embraces the art of perfect popovers with open arms. For the past 23 years, owner Carol Baer has built a cult following for her upper west side eatery, which has tripled in size since opening in the late ‘80’s. General Manager Patricia Butler estimates that between 400 to 600 popovers are served daily at the café, which serves a full lunch and dinner menu, but employs a chef exclusively for popover-making. Butler attributes the café’s longevity to its star attraction. “They’re unique,” she said. “You don’t see a popover stand on every corner, and they’re simply wonderful.” Somewhat bland on their own, creamery butter is usually the accompaniment of choice for a popover – or something a little sweeter. Popover Café serves them with its trademark dish of strawberry butter, unsweetened apple butter and an emulsion of butter and honey. There are even popover sundaes for those with a serious sweet tooth. And if a six-hour round-trip drive for a good popover seems a bit much, the café ships them by overnight mail anywhere in the country. But with a few simple ingredients and a little vigilance, you can try your hand at a batch at home. The best advice Miller has for those who take on the challenge is patience and trust. “The most important thing,” he said. “Is when they’re baking, don’t open the oven door.”
Below is Dale Miller’s favorite popover recipe, passed on to him from Henry Junco, owner of the former Golden Fox Restaurant on Central Avenue, which was known for its popovers:
Popovers2 eggs Heat oven to 450 degrees. Adjust oven rack to lowest possible position. Generously grease a popover pan or the 10 outer cups of a 12-cup muffin tin and place pan in oven. Beat eggs until frothy. While still beating eggs, add milk. When blended, add flour, salt and shortening. Beat until smooth but don’t overbeat. Remove pan from oven and close oven door. As quickly as possible, fill each cup of the pan ¾ full with batter and return pan to oven. Bake 20 minutes then reduce heat to 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes more, until popovers have puffed up high. Check by looking in oven window – do not open the door until they are ready.
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