Toad In The Hole Recipe

'Toad in the hole' is a traditional English dish - and one of those ones that tends to startle people the first time they hear of it, because it's just such a strange name. Thankfully there are no actual toads involved.

The traditional recipe consists of sausages cooked in a yorkshire pudding batter. Of course, I use vegetarian sausages, and I like to mix mine up a bit by including some vegetables in the mix - sometimes I even make a variation by increasing the quantities of vegetables, and skipping the sausages altogether.

By making individual portions, it's easier to use different sausages if you're catering for both vegetarians and meat-eaters, and I also think it looks nicer on the plate. The baking trays I use are about five by seven inches.

Toad In The Hole Recipe
Serves 4

6 medium eggs
12oz plain flour
10fl.oz milk
4tbsp sunflower oil
1 courgette (zucchini)
1 red pepper
4 small red onions
8 large sausages

1. Put the flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the eggs and a little milk to the well, and combine with a whisk.
2. Gradually add the remaining milk, and beat the batter until there are no lumps left. Whisk it a little more to create bubbles.
3. Put one tablespoon of oil in each of four small baking trays, and heat in the oven at 200°C
4. Chop the peppers and courgettes into inch-square pieces, and quarter the onions.
5. Add the sausages and vegetables to the hot oil, and return to the oven for ten minutes.
6. Give the batter another quick whisk, then divide between the baking trays (I pour the batter in to the side and allow it to flow around the sausages and vegetables).
7. Bake for a further twenty minutes, or until the batter has risen and the sausages cooked through.