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A whole lot of warmth

The heat is on when it comes to making the classic British comfort food ‒ Toad in the Hole ‒ writes LYNN BAIN.

The oven has to be hot, hot, hot for this recipe.

Not only does the oven need to be hot, but the tin (or alternatively a cast iron fry pan) and the oil in which you are cooking the Toad in the Hole, needs to be hot as well.

Accordingly, when the oven comes to temperature at the pre-set 220℃, the tin with the oil needs to be popped in the oven for at least 10 minutes.

The oil that you use should have a high smoke point. Oils such as grapeseed or peanut oil are ideal. Please don’t use olive oil — it simply won’t work as well in this scenario as it starts to smoke at around 190℃ to 207℃.

The tin should either be a roasting type tin with high sides (rather than a shallow sided tray) or a cast iron frypan.

It should also be of sufficient size to hold the sausages in a single layer with a bit of space between them to allow the batter to rise.

Handy hint one: Please use your favourite prepared mustard in the following recipe. I have been a huge fan of hot English mustard ever since I was about three years old. My dad put a generous slather of some hot English mustard on a ham sandwich and offered me a taste. I absolutely loved the belt of flavour (even through all the coughing, gasping and streaming nose).

Handy hint two: You could substitute the onion in the following recipe for finely chopped chilli. Alternatively, you could use both.

Handy hint three: A cast iron frypan with metal handle would be a great choice to cook your “toad’’ in. This pan easily makes the transition from sautéing sausages on the stove top, to cooking the Toad in the Hole in the oven.

INGREDIENTS

8 sausages

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 tbsp cooking oil

1 cup plain flour

Pinch salt

4 eggs (free range if possible)

200ml milk

1 tbsp prepared mustard

METHOD

Step 1: Place the sausages in a large pot of water and bring to a gentle simmer. Continue to poach the sausages for about 10 minutes in the simmering water before removing them from the pot.
Step 2: Drain the sausages on crumpled paper towel.
Step 3: Next, heat the cooking oil in a heavy based frypan over a medium heat. Add the sausages to the pan and fry, browning the sausages on all sides. When the sausages are golden brown remove them from the pan and again drain them on some crumpled paper towel.
Step 4: In the pan (and oil) in which you cooked the sausages, fry the chopped onions over a medium heat until they are softened and golden.
Step 5: Now, in either a bowl or a large jug, add the salt to the flour. Mix well to combine.
Step 6: Then add the eggs to the flour mixture.
Step 7: Now spoon the mustard into the mixture.
Step 8: Pour the milk into the mixture in your bowl/jug.
Step 9: Whisk the mixture in the jug/bowl briskly for a couple of minutes. Don't be concerned if there are a few small lumps. Finally, allow the batter to stand to one side.
Step 10: To cook the Toad in the Hole, pre-heat the oven to 220℃. When the oven has come to temperature, place an ‘oiled’ baking dish or cast-iron frypan into the hot oven for 10 minutes or so. Then remove the dish from the oven and (quickly) return the sausages and onion into it. Now, pour the batter over the sausages and onion in the pan. Space the sausages and onion out in the hot pan.
Step 11: Quickly return the dish to the oven and cook on 220℃ until the batter mixture is golden and puffy.
Step 12: The completed Toad in the Hole.
Step 13: Serve generous portions of the Toad in the Hole, accompanied by either a pepper or onion gravy.

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