Toad in the hole
On Monday we had Nadia in the kitchen making her chicken pies, and continuing the theme Dean Edwards is here with another great British classic, toad in the hole!
Ingredients:
For the Yorkshire pudding batter:
4 eggs beaten160g plain flour250ml milk1 tbs fresh thyme leavesGood pinch of salt
For the filling:
12 good quality pork sausagesHandful of fresh rosemary sprigs
For the gravy:
1 large onion, finely sliced2 cloves garlic, crushed5 sprigs fresh thyme1 heaped tbsp plain flour300ml medium sweet cider700ml chicken stockSalt and pepper
Serve with:
Mashed potatoes and seasonal greens
Method
To make the Yorkshire pudding batter mix the beaten eggs and flour then whisk in the milk along with the thyme leaves, add a good pinch of salt and place in the fridge to rest for an hour
Meanwhile, place the sausages into a large ovenproof frying pan or heavy based baking dish and cook for around 8-10 minutes on the hob until golden all over, remove and set aside. Pour some oil into the pan/or baking dish and heat until really hot, pour in the rested batter then place in the sausages in an ordered fashion, finally dot in some sprigs of fresh rosemary. Cook in an oven set at 230c / gas mark 8 for 30-35 minutes; try not to open the door whilst cooking
For the gravy cook the onion, garlic and thyme in some oil over a low to medium heat for around 10 minutes, Add in the flour then stir and cook over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes before adding the cider then reducing by half. Pour in the stock, bring up to the boil and cook until the gravy thickens, season with salt and pepper
Portion up the toad in the hole and serve with the gravy, some mashed potatoes and seasonal greens