Battersea pudding

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the eggs and about a third of the milk. Beat well with an electric hand whisk until smooth and bubbles rise to the surface. Stir in the rest of the milk. Set the oven to Gas Mark 7 or 220C. Put the white fat in the roasting tin and place in the oven to heat up. Meanwhile, peel, core and halve the apples. When the fat is very hot, quickly add the apples, cut-side down, and pour the batter over. Put back in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, until well-risen and browned and the batter looks cooked. Dredge with icing sugar, or brush the apples with apricot jam immediately, and serve hot with crme frache.