Toad In The Hole

Toad In The Hole
  • Author: sebastien100

This classic toad in the hole recipe is comfort food at its finest. Juicy pork sausages nestled in a golden, puffed up batter, served with a rich onion gravy that complements the dish perfectly. The sausages and onions are roasted to perfection before being enveloped in the crispy batter, creating a delicious combination of flavors and textures. Best served piping hot with a generous drizzle of the savory gravy, this dish is sure to warm your soul and satisfy your cravings.

— Constant Cookbook

Ingredients

  • 6 good-quality pork sausages â€ÂÂ" about 14 oz (400 g)
  • 1 tablespoon groundnut or other flavourless oil (if necessary)
  • For the batter:
  • 3 oz (75 g) plain flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 fl oz (75 ml) semi-skimmed milk
  • salt and freshly milled black pepper
  • 2 fl oz (55 ml) water
  • For the onion gravy:
  • 8 oz (225 g) onions, peeled and sliced
  • 2 teaspoons groundnut or other flavourless oil
  • 1 level teaspoon golden caster sugar
  • 1 dessertspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 level teaspoon mustard powder
  • 15 fl oz (425 ml) vegetable stock made from 1½ level teaspoons Marigold Swiss vegetable bouillon powder dissolved in 15 fl oz (425 ml) boiling water
  • 1 rounded dessertspoon plain flour
  • salt and freshly milled black pepper

Instructions

  • Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7, 425°F (220°C
  • Begin by making the batter, and to do this sieve the flour into a large bowl, holding the sieve up high to give the flour a good airing. Now, with the back of a spoon, make a well in the centre, break the egg into it and add some salt and pepper.
  • Now, measure the milk and 2 fl oz (55 ml) water in a measuring jug, then, using an electric hand whisk on a slow speed, begin to whisk the egg into the flour – as you whisk, the flour around the edges will slowly be incorporated. Then add the liquid gradually, stopping to scrape the flour into the mixture.
  • hisk until the batter is smooth. Now the batter is ready for use, and although it's been rumoured that batter left to stand is better, I have never found this, so just make it whenever it's convenient. Now place the sliced onions in a bowl, add 1 teaspoon of the oil and the sugar and toss the onions around to get the lightest coating, then spread them on the baking tray.
  • Next arrange the sausages in the roasting tin, then place the onions on a high shelf in the oven, with the sausages on a lower shelf, and set a timer for 10 minutes. When the timer goes off, remove the sausages from the oven but leave the onions in for a further 4-5 minutes – they need to be nicely blackened round the edges. When they are ready, remove them and leave to one side.
  • Now place the roasting tin containing the sausages over direct heat turned to medium and, if the sausages haven't released much fat, add the tablespoon of oil. When the tin is really hot and the oil is beginning to shimmer – it must be searing hot – quickly pour the batter in all around the sausages. Immediately return the roasting tin to the oven, this time on the highest shelf, and cook the whole thing for 30 minutes.Now for the gravy.
  • First add the Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder to the stock, then add the onions from the baking tray to a medium-sized pan. Now add the second teaspoon of oil, then, using a wooden spoon, stir in the plain flour. Stir all this together over a medium heat and then switch to a whisk, then gradually add the stock to the pan, whisking all the time, until it's all in.
  • Then bring it up to simmering point and gently simmer for 5 minutes. Taste to check the seasoning, then pour into a warmed serving jug. When the toad is ready, it should be puffed brown and crisp and the centre should look cooked and not too squidgy.
  • Serve it immediately with the gravy, and it's absolutely wonderful with mashed potato.
  • Copyright © 2009 Delia Smith/New Crane Internet Limited, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Serve hot and enjoy

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Yield

Serves 4