We tried controversial Yorkshire Pudding Wrap at Leeds' Kirkgate Market
Yorkshire pudding wraps have come under fire since they hit the culinary scene.
The battered puddings have been around since the 1700s – devised as a use for left over fat which dropped off cooking meat into the dripping pan. The wrap fusion street dish has been around since at least 2017 when they were added to Toby Carvery’s menu.
A horrified journalist slammed the doughy wraps ‘commodifying the county's culture' in an expletive filled rant after being shown a picture of one served in Leeds. So we decided to head over to Kirkgate Market to judge whether they were Yorkshire’s answer to haute cuisine or an insult to God’s Own County.
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The Yorkshire Wrap Company is located in the ‘Market Kitchen,’ home to Leeds’ most uncomfortable plastic chairs and about 14 different independent food vendors. The business offers a range of different wraps, sandwiches and specials, along with cakes, brownies and coffees.
I was faced with a choice between wraps containing slow roasted beef, pork, a breakfast wrap, various specials including sausage and stuffing and barbecue rolled onions and jalapeños – and even a dessert wrap. The most scrumptious looking offering was the seasonal Christmas Wrap, however.
The Christmas Wrap purportedly came with turkey, stuffing, cabbage, cranberry sauce, pigs in blanket and gravy. It came at the rather substantial price of £8.50.
When it arrived, it wasn’t the most appealing looking dish – and it seemed as though the meat and cabbage must have been blended together, creating a mass of shredded meat and red cabbage.
The wrap won’t be winning any Miss World contests but it’s the flavour and texture of the dish that matters when you’re grabbing a quick bite to eat. The texture of the pudding’s outer shell was quite inviting, however, it had a charred crispy outer layer.
There was a satisfying crunch when you cut into it with the flimsy wooden cutlery provided. The charring provided a wonderful rounded flavour, enriching the fluffier exterior of the pudding. It was a well-made Yorkshire pudding.
It was also very big, a generous portion size. Not the type wrap you could walk and munch on without getting very messy. Table and chair, knife and fork, definitely required.
The filling was overwhelmed by the flavour of the stuffing and the red cabbage and cranberry gave the meat a much-needed sweetness. I couldn’t help thinking it could have done with some seasoning or salt to draw out the flavour of the meat.
Overall, a very satisfying dish – but it won’t be adorning any billboards as its appearance was rather unsightly.
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