Toad in the hole

Perfect with mash potatoes and greens, an all-time British classic – Toad in the hole with perfect gravy makes a knockout meal. ”

Serves : 4
Cooking Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

sunflower oil
8 higher-welfare sausages
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 large red onions
2 cloves of garlic
2 knobs of unsalted butter
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 level tablespoon vegetable stock powder or 1 organic vegetable stock cube

Batter

285 ml milk
115 g plain flour
3 large free-range eggs

Method

Step 1:

Whisk the batter ingredients together with a pinch of sea salt, and put to one side. I like the batter to go huge so the key thing is to have an appropriately-sized baking tin – the thinner the better – as we need to get the oil smoking hot.

Step 2:

Put 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil into a baking tin, then place on the middle shelf of your oven at its highest setting (240–250ºC/475ºF/gas 9). Place a larger tray underneath it to catch any oil that overflows from the tin while cooking.

Step 3:

When the oil is very hot, add the sausages – keep an eye on them and allow them to colour until lightly golden.

Step 4:

At this point, take the tin out of the oven, being very careful, and pour the batter over the sausages. Throw a couple of sprigs of rosemary into the batter.
It will bubble and possibly even spit a little, so carefully put the tin back in the oven, and close the door. Don’t open it for at least 20 minutes, as Yorkshire puddings can be a bit temperamental when rising. Remove from the oven when golden and crisp.

Step 4:

For the onion gravy, peel and finely slice the onions and garlic, then simply fry off in the butter on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until they go sweet and translucent. You could add a little thyme or rosemary here, if you like. Add the balsamic vinegar and allow it to cook down by half.

Step 5:

At this point, I do cheat a little and add a stock cube or powder. You can get some good ones in the supermarkets now that aren’t full of rubbish. Sprinkle this in and add a little water. Allow to simmer and you’ll have a really tasty onion gravy.

Step 6:

Serve at the table with the Toad in the hole, mashed potatoes, greens and baked beans or maybe a green salad if you’re feeling a little guilty!