Bacon and Brie Yorkshire Puddings

STEP 1: MAKE THE CHUTNEY

Cook the diced bacon in a heavy skillet over medium heat until the fat renders and the pieces begin to color, about 8 minutes. Add the sliced red onions and a pinch of salt, lower the heat and cook slowly for 20 to 25 minutes, until collapsed and sweet. Stir in the light brown sugar, red wine vinegar and thyme and cook for a further 8 to 10 minutes, until the liquid has reduced to a sticky glaze that holds a channel when you draw a spoon through it. Season and cool completely. It should be jammy and spoonable rather than wet — wet chutney softens the inside of the pudding. This can be made up to five days ahead and is better for it.

STEP 2: MIX THE BATTER LOOSE

Whisk the eggs in a large pitcher until completely broken up and slightly frothy. Add the flour, English mustard powder, salt and pepper and whisk to a thick, smooth paste — get the lumps out now, while the mixture is stiff enough to work against the whisk. Gradually whisk in the milk, then the cold water. The finished batter should have the consistency of heavy cream and coat a spoon only thinly; if it clings, add another tablespoon or two of water. A thick batter is the most common cause of a squat pudding. Stir in the thyme and chives. Cover and rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate overnight and bring back to room temperature before baking.

STEP 3: CRISP THE FILLING BACON

While the batter rests, cook the 8 oz (225 g) of filling bacon in a dry skillet over medium heat until genuinely crisp, then drain on paper towels and break into shards. Reserve the rendered fat — it can replace some of the drippings in the tins. Crisp means crisp: bacon that is merely cooked goes limp against the warm brie.

STEP 4: HEAT THE FAT UNTIL IT SMOKES

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat to 450°F (230°C), verified on an oven thermometer. Put a scant teaspoon of drippings or oil into each muffin cup and slide both tins into the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the fat is shimmering and beginning to smoke. The batter must hit fat hot enough to flash the surface into a shell instantly; lukewarm fat gives a flat, greasy, heavy pudding.

STEP 5: PORTION AND BAKE, GIVING THEM THE FULL TIME

Pour the rested batter into a pitcher. Working fast, ladle about 1.5 fl oz (45 ml) into each cup — a little under half full, which leaves the rise somewhere to go. Measure every portion with a fixed scoop or ladle; eyeballing is what produces a tray of mismatched puddings. Return the tin to the oven immediately and repeat with the second tin, working from the oven so the fat stays hot. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes without opening the door at any point. Take them to deep golden brown with dry, crisp walls and a hollow that feels set when tapped, not to the pale, barely risen stage where they look done but are not. If in doubt at 22 minutes, give them another 3 — pulling early collapses them within a minute of leaving the oven.

STEP 6: FILL AND FINISH

Lift the puddings out with a small offset spatula and set them on a baking sheet. Spoon a generous teaspoon of the cooled chutney into each hollow, press in a piece of chilled brie and return the sheet to the oven for 90 seconds to 2 minutes — just long enough for the brie to slump, not run. Top with the crisp bacon shards and a few thyme leaves. Serve immediately, while the shell is still crisp and the cheese is soft.