[saras008]

Toad in the hole

The key to perfect toad in the hole is to have a sufficiently hot oven and to get the tray and oil really hot before putting the batter in.

Serves 6
plain flour 125g
cold milk 150ml
cold carbonated water 150ml
eggs 3, beaten
sea salt 1? tsp
chipolatas 12 (chipolatas give a better ratio of batter to sausage)
oil 6 tbsp (a mixture of sunflower and olive oil works well)

The quantity of batter given here will also make 12 individual Yorkshire puddings: simply pour a little oil into the holes of a preheated muffin tray and pour the batter in. You will need to reduce the cooking time by about 15 minutes.

First make the batter. Sift the flour into a bowl and put the milk, water, beaten eggs and salt into a jug.

Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour the milk and egg mixture into it, a little at a time, stirring as you go to bring in the flour bit by bit. Keep pouring and continue to stir until you have a smooth batter. Set aside to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight if necessary.

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Fry the chipolatas in 2 tablespoons of the oil until they are well browned all over. Pour the remaining oil into a medium-sized roasting tin or baking tray and put into the oven to heat for a few minutes.

Carefully remove the tray filled with the hot oil and lay the sausages into it, scraping the delicious, gooey sediment produced by the sausages from the frying pan into the tray. Pour the batter all over them, so they become partially submerged and put it into the oven.

Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180C/gas mark 4 and bake for a further 20 minutes, by which time the top will be golden and crisp and the batter will have risen dramatically. Resist the temptation to take the pudding out of the oven earlier when the top looks cooked, as the batter at the base won?t be cooked enough.