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United Kingdom, Europe

Toad-in-the-Hole

A classic British family dinner: sausages baked in hot fat inside a crisp, towering Yorkshire pudding batter, served with plenty of onion gravy.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time52 min
Batter resting+ 30 min
DifficultyMedium
About servingsRaw sausages must be cooked through: cut one open to check there is no pink and the juices run clear, or that the centre reaches 75 °C. Always handle the tin of hot fat with oven gloves.

Method

  1. Put the flour and salt in a bowl, make a well in the middle and crack in the eggs. Pour in half the milk and whisk from the centre outwards until smooth and lump-free, then whisk in the rest of the milk until it is like single cream. Leave at room temperature for ; resting lets the flour absorb the liquid so it rises higher.

    Add in this stepPlain (all-purpose) flour 70 gSalt 1 pinchEggs 2Milk 100 ml

  2. Preheat the oven to 220 °C (200 °C fan) for about 15 minutes. Put the oil in a 20×15 cm metal roasting tin or ovenproof dish, add the sausages spaced apart and roast for , until they are lightly browned and the fat is sizzling hot. That very hot fat is what makes the batter puff up.

    Add in this stepVegetable oil 1½ tbspRaw pork sausages (about 65 g each) 4

    oven

  3. Give the batter a quick whisk. Wearing oven gloves, carefully take out the tin (the fat may spit) and quickly pour the batter around the sausages; the edges should sizzle straight away. Put it straight back in the oven for . Do not open the door for the first 20 minutes or it will sink. It is ready when tall, deep golden and crisp.

    oven

  4. Meanwhile, make the gravy. Melt the butter in a 18 cm pan, add the onion and cook over medium-low heat for , stirring often, until soft and golden.

    Add in this stepButter 15 gOnion, thinly sliced 1

    medium-low heat

  5. Sprinkle over the flour and stir for 1 minute, then pour in the hot stock a little at a time, whisking out any lumps. Add the Worcestershire sauce and simmer over medium heat for , until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, then season with pepper. If it gets too thick, add a splash of water.

    Add in this stepPlain flour (for the gravy) 2 tspHot beef stock 240 mlWorcestershire sauce 1 tspBlack pepper to taste

    medium heat

  6. Take the toad-in-the-hole out of the oven, cut it into portions and pour over plenty of warm gravy. Peas or greens and mashed potato make it a proper British dinner. Serve straight away, as the pudding deflates as it cools.

Cook's tip

A metal tin conducts heat faster than glass or ceramic and gives a much better rise. If the fat is not hot enough the batter turns flat and soggy, so check that it sizzles as you pour. For thick sausages, add 5 minutes to the first roasting.

Cooking it at camp

At a campsite, use a lidded cast-iron Dutch oven over charcoal with more coals on the lid so it works like an oven. Brown the sausages first, pour in the batter when the fat is very hot, cover and bake for 20–25 minutes. It won't rise as high as in an oven but is still crisp and delicious. Make the batter at home and carry it in a bottle in the cooler.