Italian toad in the hole with rosemary and red onions
What’s light, golden brown and rises well every time? Gino’s Toad in the Hole of course!
He’s on a mission to conquer people’s fear of making this British classic - although he’s given it an Italian twist, naturally!
Serves: 4
Ingredients
5 tbsp sunflower oil8 good quality Italian sausages3 red onions, each cut into 8 wedges1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, stripped from the stalks250g plain flour½ tsp salt4 eggs, lightly beaten300ml full fat milkSalt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 220C / 425F / gas 7.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Start to cook the sausages and onions with the rosemary for 10 minutes. Turn the sausages and onions regularly until browned. Set aside.
Sift the flour with the salt into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the eggs, milk and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper. Whisk to a smooth batter.
Pour the remaining oil into a medium-sized circular ovenproof dish (about 25cm in diameter) and place in the middle of the oven for 8 minutes to allow the oil to become very hot.
Arrange the sausages and onions in the hot oil, then pour over the batter.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 25-28 minutes until puffed up and golden.
Red wine and cranberries gravy with caramelised onions
Serves: 4
ingredients
1 large red onion, peeled and finely sliced3 tbsp rosemary leaves3 tbsp olive oil1 tsp salt500ml red wine1 tbsp runny honey400ml hot chicken stock, made with 1 stock cube2 tbsp balsamic vinegar1 ½ tsp corn flour1 tbsp cranberries jellySalt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Pour the oil into a 20cm diameter saucepan and place over a medium heat
Add in the rosemary, onions and salt and fry all together for 8 minutes. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Pour in the runny honey and continue to fry for 2 minutes
Pour in the wine, stir and bring to the boil. Adjust the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes.
Stir in the balsamic vinegar with the stock and continue to cook on a low heat for 20 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes.
Meanwhile add the corn flour into a small expresso cup and stir in 3 tablespoons of water, set aside
Place a sieve over a medium size bowl and pour in the gravy. At this point you should have all the bits into the sieve and the gravy without any bits into the bowl. With the back of a tablespoon press all the bits into the sieve allowing all the juices from the onions and rosemary to run through the sieve into the gravy. Discard all the bits into the sieve and pour the gravy back into the 20cm diameter saucepan.
Place the saucepan over a low heat and whisk in the corn flour mixture, keep whisking for 1 minute
Add in the cranberries jelly and continue to whisk for 30 seconds