For those of you who don’t know what toad in the Hole is, don’t worry. I’m not about to chuck an amphibian into a fire pit and cook it although I have eaten frog legs. Tastes like chicken. Nope. Toad in the Hole is Yorkshire pudding with the addition of sausages (bangers). The reason this culinary delight is called Toad in the Hole is beyond me as is the reason sausages are called ‘bangers’. I never said I would explain why the English are weird.
Toad in the Hole is my signature dish. My mum taught me how to cook it and I do make a pretty decent version. You will note that I don’t list quantities or weights cos I never measure or weigh ingredients which probably explains why some of the meals I cook end up looking like baby poo and, occasionally, a plate of vomit. Heyho. I may look like the Michelin Man but I have no stars. It is a great meal to have though. Cheap as chips and if you use Quorn sausages, it’s suitable for veggies too.
You will need the following:
Plain flour, eggs, milk, some vegetable oil and some bangers. I prefer to use Cumberland sausages simply because I like them but you can use whatever bangers you like.
You will also need a big bowl, a sieve, a whisk or fork and two deep oven tray thingies – a big one for the main event and a smaller one for the secret. Don’t use the trays for making little individual Yorkshire puds. Well, ok. If you really must then you can.
Sieve the flour into the big bowl. This starts to put air into the mixture. Beat in two or three eggs until you have a gooey mess. This should add more air to the mixture. Then gradually start to add milk and stir it into the mixture. While stirring, try to beat more air into the mixture. You’ll know if you are because little bubbles start to appear in the mixture. Add milk until the mixture is sort of a thick liquid. Leave it to stand for a while.
Turn your oven on as high as it goes. It needs to be really hot. At least 220 centigrade which converts to a shit load of fahrenheits. Put some oil into the oven trays and add as many bangers as you want to the bigger of the two trays (don’t put any in the smaller one) and put them both into the very hot oven. After about 10 minutes prepare to take the trays out by turning a burner on the hob on. Take the trays out one at a time, closing the oven door as you take each one out. Place on the burner to maintain the heat. Pour the batter into each of the trays ensuring you put enough into each to completely cover the base. Return to the oven as quickly as possible.
After about 15 minutes open the oven door and don’t do what I always do and stick your head in the oven. It’s bloody hot and if you wear specs like I do at home, they will steam up and you can’t see a bloody thing! Turn the oven down to about 200. After 20/25 minutes the small one which is just Yorkshire pud should be cooked so remove it and leave it to get cold.
After about half an hour or 30 minutes if you prefer, the Toad in the Hole should be cooked. Remove from the oven which you should now turn off to save the planet, cut up into the required number of pieces and serve with veg and gravy. We rarely have it with mashed spud but you can if you want.
Once the small Yorkshire is cold, cut it up and serve later with a decent smothering of strawberry jam. Don’t puke, it’s lovely. Try it.
Have a smashing day.
More Dick soon.
iplonker 
Ooh, I love a toad in the hole…okay, why does everything I say, sound like a euphemism for something else? There are actual vegetarian Cumberland sausages, (my favourite thing to put in my mouth) which tastes just as well as the real thing.
Thanks for the recipe. Now I know what we’re having for dinner tomorrow. And the pics are hilarious, especially that last one.
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Thank you. Sometimes conversations with you are like wandering onto the set of a Carry On movie! That is not a bad thing though. Nothing quite beats a little bit of innuendo. Also, why am I not surprised that sausage is your favourite thing to pop into your mouth?
I did mean to include photos of my latest Toad but as so often happens with me, this one didn’t quite work out and we had bangers on pancakes! The bloody thing just would not rise to the occasion. A problem I seem to suffer from the older I get! Ooh Missus.
I never knew you could get vegetarian Cumberland sausages. Every day’s a school day.
Have a lovely evening. I’m going to collect our eldest from the station soon (always supposing he’s got on the right train) and then I might open a bottle of plonk as I have another day off tomorrow. Take care.
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I know. I think I might have the ghost
of Sid James inside me.
Before I became a vegetarian, I used to love chomping down on a bit of meat. I was so happy when Asda started selling veggie Cumberlands. You can’t beat em.
Have a lovely night and enjoy that bottle of plonk.
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You too. Chatting to Greg about Uni selections now. A parents job is never done!
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Well I haven’t eaten Toad in the Hole for about 30 years. And that’s about the last time I heard the Swedish Chef too. Correlation?
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I’m sure there is one mate. It’s not something we eat that often either but it does make a pleasant change from chicken and pasta which happens to be the staple in our house. The kids are all into healthy eating and exercise and as we don’t live in a caff, we all eat the same food.
I hope you’re well. Have a great evening.
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Nope, never tried it – sounds waaaaay to complicated for me 🙂
perhaps I shall stay with Frog in the Snow! – What, you’ve never heard of Frog in the Snow? Well, let me enlighten you: I frog (the lolly type is best, but if “real” food is your thing catch one in the garden) and a big, big bowl of ice-cream (any flavour – I am not flavourist). Bung them together, admire for 5 seconds, then scoff the lot.
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What? What? What? Catch a frog, put it in a bowl of ice cream and eat it? I thought you were taking the piss so I Googled it and bugger me there it was! Snow frog dessert. A Chinese dish involving the fallopian tubes of a frog! Outstanding! Don’t think I’d eat it though. Or have I got the wrong end of the stick again?
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Ok, I WAS making it up – now are you making it up? Going to google it – please don’t let it be true. Please.
Oh, gross – it is true. Yuck.
I was definitely taking a slight poke at ya – lolly frog and icecream for me ONLY.
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Hahahaha. Absolutely. Yuck.
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Is it bad that it took me a while to realize that this was a parody. Even as I type this response, I’m not entirely sure it I should go in the kitchen it preheat my oven as high as it can go..
LOL
This was a fun read.I look forward to more of your stuff. Following you now 🙂
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Thank you. I’m going to take a butchers at yours shortly.
That recipe is straight up serious. To get the batter to rise properly means you have to beat air into the mixture and then heat it very quickly so you really do need to turn the oven up as far as it goes which on our super dooper new one is about 240.
Having said that, my posts generally contain humour and I do take the mick. I was planning to take photos of the finished product for that post but as usually happens with me, disaster struck and the bloody thing refused point blank to rise! What a bummer! Had to get photos off the Intertube.
Have a great day and thank you once again. I hope you enjoy.
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Wow, looks like I have a lot to look forward to…
And you’re freakin’ hilarious. 🙂
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Thank you. You are tooooo kind. I like to think it’s hilariously freaky!
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LOL
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I love toad in the hole, next I’ll try your recipe.:-) 🙂
Warm greetings from North Norfolk,
Dina
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Thank you. It’s my mums recipe but it never quite works out as nice as hers. Have a great day in North Norfolk
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