I just love this dish and growing up in England we had it at least once a month.
When I was living in Vancouver I had a craving for toad in the hole and so I made a big roasting dish full. I Couldn’t finish it and it sat in my oven. That night some friends came over after a few beers out and one found the tray and asked what it was. Well, naturally they had never heard of it and evryone in the room had a look and within a few they all tucked in, even though it was now cold, but they proclaimed how good it was and declared that British food should be given a chance!
Everyone has their own recipe for this, you can herb up the batter if you like and it’s not carved in stone which sausages to use and the gravy is of course a matter of taste.
I suggest you try this today!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
For the batter
- 3 large eggs (I use free range)
- 200g plain flour
- 300ml milk(semi-skimmed milk is good)
- Salt to season
For the Toad and gravy
- 8 good sausages, Cumberland or your favourite
- 1 large onion, sliced
- Approx. 25g knob of butter
- vegetable oil or lard
- 1 heaped tbsp flour
- 500ml beef stock or use a Knorr Beef Stock Pot and boiling water
- 2 Sprigs of Rosemary
- A good shot of Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper to season
Preparation method:
In a bowl whisk up the egg flour and milk for the batter and season with the salt. Pour into a jug and set aside in the fridge.
Over a medium heat in a pan, melt the butter with a good splash of oil add the onion and the leaves from a sprig of rosemary and cook until the onions are nice soft and golden you can also add a splash of water if looking a bit dry then remove from heat.
Preheat oven at full whack, put the sausages in a roasting tray, drizzle with oil or put in some good old fashioned lard and place in the oven until golden brown. 10 – 15 minutes. Add the remaining rosemary leaves and toss in the dish with the oil and sausages then when the oil almost at smoking point pour the batter all over the the pan and place back in the middle of the oven.
Over a high heat stir in the spoonful of flour to the onions in the pan and mix it all around then add the stock and a good couple of shots of the Worcestershire sauce an bring to the boil until it thickens then turn the heat off. When the batter mix has risen nicely and is fluffy and golden remove from oven and serve with the onion gravy.
Enjoy!