Riverland Popover Recipe

Popovers are an old New England tradition.  Young people invariably ask:  “What’s a popover,” as they are passing out of memory.  Older people often exclaim:  “I haven’t had one of these for 30 years.”  Well, we are trying to bring back a good, old idea.

Popovers make a lovely vehicle for melting butter and local jams.  The batter is easy to make.  The trick is getting the popovers to rise, to stay risen, and to let go of the pan without collapsing.  At Riverland, we’ve made our fair share of mistakes.  Here is what works for us.

1. Invest in a popover pan. These pans help keep the popovers separated and allow air to circulate evenly.Make the batter the night before and do not refrigerate. Combine: 1 cup all-purpose pr pastry flour, ½ teaspoon table salt, 3 eggs, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 1 cup of milk. Mix slowly. Stop. Scrape down sides of bowl.  Mix again, slowly, until lumps are rare.

2. In the morning, pre-heat your popover plan in 450 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Take it out of the oven and spray cups with non-stick spray and fill each cup two-thirds full with batter and return to oven.  Cook at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, and then, decrease the heat to 350 degrees and cook another 20 minutes.

3  Your popovers should be well-browned and crispy on the outside and soft and steamy on the inside, with cavities that are perfect for filling with butter and jam. The well-cooked outside serves as scaffolding to help the popover hold its shape.  To help frustrate the tendency to collapse, poke a small hole in the top to allow steam to escape.

ENJOY!

Sources:  Popovers are so traditional that recipes are everywhere.  We really don’t remember where we found this one.