Toad in the hole
- Prepare
- 1-2 hours
- Cook
- 30 mins to 1 hour
- Serve
- Serves 4
- Dietary
- Nut-freePregnancy-friendly
You've got to love a warming toad-in-the-hole recipe when there's a nip in the air. Skip the garlic cabbage if you like and serve with another green vegetable of your choice. This is designed to be a low cost recipe.
Ingredients
For the batter
- 175g/6oz plain flour
- salt and black pepper
- 3 free-range eggs
- 300ml/10fl oz milk
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 8 sausages
For the onion gravy
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, finely sliced
- ½ tsp English mustard
- 500ml/18fl oz stock (from a stock cube, ideally beef although chicken or vegetable is fine)
For the garlic cabbage
- 1 Savoy cabbage, shredded, core discarded
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Method
For the batter, sieve the flour into a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Make a well in the middle and break in the eggs. Whisk the eggs slowly into the flour. Once combined, pour in the milk while you whisk so that you have a smooth, lump-free batter the consistency of double cream (if the batter is too thick then add a little water). Cover the batter and rest in the fridge for one hour.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
For the onion gravy, heat a heavy-based frying pan over a low heat. Add the oil, onions and a pinch of salt. Cook gently for 15–20 minutes, or until completely collapsed and dark golden-brown in colour. If the onions are cooking too quickly, then cover with a lid while they cook.
Once the onions are completely softened and dark golden-brown, stir in the mustard and a pinch of pepper and then add the stock. Bring the mixture to the boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 10–15 minutes, or until the volume of liquid has reduced by half. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
Put a roasting tray (about 30x20x6cm/12x8x2½in) into the preheated oven. Once really hot, add the olive oil and the sausages. Brown the sausages in the hot oven, turning now and again until coloured on all sides (they don’t need to be cooked through).
Whisk the rested batter and pour it into the hot tin over the browned sausages. Return to the oven and cook for a further 30–35 minutes, or until the batter is risen and golden-brown all over.
While the toad in the hole is cooking, prepare the cabbage. Wilt the shredded cabbage in a high sided frying pan or shallow saucepan with 3–4 tablespoons of water over a medium high heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the cabbage is tender pour off any excess water (or add it to the gravy).
Add the oil to the pan along with the garlic. Fry over a medium high heat for 2–3 minutes, or until the garlic is softened and aromatic. Season the cabbage with salt and pepper and keep warm.
Reheat the onion gravy and serve the cooked toad in the hole in wedges with the cabbage alongside.
Recipe tips
In November 2023 this recipe was costed at an average of £5.62 when checking prices at four UK supermarkets.
This recipe is designed to be made in conjunction with a low-cost store-cupboard, for more details click here to see how our budget recipes were costed.
What is the best baking tin for toad in the hole?
A metal tin with fairly high sides is best because metal is a very efficient conductor of heat and getting the batter hot is essential for a good rise. You can use any oven-safe dish, but ceramic and glass dishes take longer to heat up which might affect the rise of your Yorkshire pudding.
Why does my toad in the hole not rise in the middle?
If you are using a metal tin and are sure your oven is hot enough, it could be because your tin is too small. You need plenty of space between the sausages to allow the Yorkshire pudding to rise properly – if your tin is crowded the batter can't cook properly.
Why should you let Yorkshire pudding batter rest?
Resting helps Yorkshire puddings to rise fully because it allows the gluten in the flour to ‘relax’ and relaxed gluten is more stretchy.
