Dr Mobeus
Toad in the Hole
Toad in the hole is the dinner that proves British food deserves its reputation for comfort. Sausages nestled in a soft, golden Yorkshire pudding with gravy – it is hearty, warming and costs pennies compared to anything you can buy ready-made. Value sausages work perfectly here because they bake in the batter and stay juicy.
The secret to a good rise is heat. The oil must be smoking hot before the batter goes in, and the batter itself benefits from a 10 minute rest while the tin heats. Most importantly, do not open the oven door while it cooks or the pudding will collapse. At roughly 55p a portion it is one of the cheapest proper dinners you can make.
Toad in the Hole
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/Gas 7. Pour the oil into a medium roasting tin and place in the oven to heat up.
- Whisk the flour, eggs, milk and salt together in a bowl until completely smooth. The batter should be the consistency of single cream.
- Leave the batter to rest while the tin heats up. The oil needs to be shimmering hot before anything goes in.
- Carefully add the sausages to the hot tin, turning them to coat in the oil. Return to the oven for 5 minutes to brown slightly.
- Pull the tin out and pour the batter around and over the sausages. Get it back in the oven quickly.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes without opening the oven door, until the batter is well risen, golden and crisp at the edges.
- Serve immediately with mashed potato, green vegetables and onion gravy.
Tips and Variations
Do not open the oven door while it bakes – cold air will deflate the batter. Whisking the batter well and resting it gives a lighter rise. Add a sprig of thyme or a spoonful of wholegrain mustard to the batter for extra flavour. If your sausages brown too quickly, lay a piece of foil loosely over the tin for the last 10 minutes.
