When I was a child, there were a few foods that I wanted to try just for the novelty of the name. They were invariably English because the English love an eccentric name (Spotted Dick anyone? ;) ). One of them was Toad In The Hole which of course my mother never made as my father was rather strictly patriotic growing up and were only allowed Chinese food and which probably explains my now insatiable appetite and love for food from all over the world.
I loved the book The Wind in the Willows and I had always imagined that this dish was somehow linked to Mr Toad from Toad Hall and I thought that eating this dish would transport me to Toad Hall to hang out with Mr Toad. This is also the thinking I held onto when I climbed into the cupboard looking for the secret passageway into Narnia where I would hopefully feast on Turkish Delight. I spent hours in there pressing against the panels just so in the hopes of revealing the entry way, my mouthwatering at the idea of consuming Turkish Delight which sounded so unlike anything I had ever tried before.
But back to Toad in the Hole. The Toads of course are the sausages and they poke out from the pastry which is like a Yorkshire Pudding. I don't ever claim to be an expert on this especially as this was my first time making it but having made pastry I made some amendments to some recipes that I found. The oven of course needs to be hot and I thought that using soda water to lighten up the batter would help as of course the more puffed up it is, the better it is. I decided to make it a bit Italianby using Italian sausages and using vine ripened tomatoes and fresh basil although traditionally it would be made using pork sausages and rosemary.
This was a quick to make dish with hardly any preparation necessary. In fact 20 minutes of light work in the kitchen will do it as far as preparations go as the oven takes care of the rest leaving you to lie back at your leisure (or stand in front of the oven with your fingers crossed). After 40 minutes I turned on the light and peered inside. By George! It had risen and puffed up proudly, some little "toads" had poked through the Yorkshire pudding batter and the tomatoes were soft and luscious.After the obligatory photos we dug in hungrily as the smell was too tempting. It was pure comfort food with the spicy, flavoursome sausages going well with the eggy pastry-like batter. Mr NQN ate it hungrily and then swallowed patting his stomach and stole another portion before I knew it. I had my own lovable rogue, my own Mr Toad.
So tell me Dear Reader, what's the dish you always wanted to try when you were little?
500g Italian sausages, pricked lightly with 1 hole
250g vine ripened cherry tomatoes on the vine
fresh basil leaves
For Batter
120grams flour
285ml cold milk
3 eggs
pinch of salt
50ml icy cold soda water
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 200C/400F. I used a 31x18cm oval dish but a similar sized dish would do you well as it looks great when it's abundantly fluffy. Pour 1 tablespoon of oil in the baking dish and leave in oven while it is preheating so that it gets hot. When it has reached the correct temperature, place sausages in the baking dish and bake for 5 minutes on each side to brown.
Step 2 - While the sausages are browning, make the quick batter. Sift the flour into a bowl and add salt. In a jug whisk the milk and eggs until combined. Then add the liquid gradually to the flour whisking until the lumps are gone (doing this gradually will help prevent lumps). Just when the sausages are ready, add the soda water and whisk lightly but not too much - just combine it into the batter. Pour the batter over the sausages and then place vine ripened tomatoes on top. Bake for 35-40 minutesuntil risen and puffy (don't open the oven while it is cooking). Once finished, garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve.
Egg in a Basket features an egg fried in the hole of a buttery slice of bread. The dish goes by several other names as well; Americans sometimes call it Toad in the Hole, but that title more properly refers to the traditional English dish of Yorkshire pudding with sausage and onion gravy.
The flour should be plain (all-purpose) flour and not self-raising. However it is most likely that the batter isn't quite cooking properly due to the dish. Stoneware tends to heat up very slowly and doesn't give the instant hit of heat that the batter needs to help it to rise properly.
There are a few things that will make your batter soggy and stop it from rising nicely. You need to make sure your batter is a good consistency – not too thick and not too thin. This recipe seems to work nicely for us. If your batter still isn't rising well it could be that you haven't used enough oil.
Toad in the hole is a traditional English dish consisting of sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter, usually served with onion gravy and vegetables. Historically, the dish has also been prepared using other meats, such as rump steak and lamb's kidney.
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.
The best side dishes to serve with toad in the hole are onion gravy, mozzarella sticks, mashed potatoes, blooming onion, buttered peas, roasted root vegetables, steamed broccoli, cauliflower cheese, creamed corn, colcannon, horseradish sauce, and braised red cabbage.
It has been suggested the pudding was given the name “Yorkshire” due to the region's association with coal and the high temperatures this produced that helped to make crispy batter.
Ideally rest the batter for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. The batter doesn't need to be chilled. Should Yorkshire pudding batter be thick or runny? The batter should be about as thick as double cream (so easily pourable but with some body).
Then add in the milk some at a time, whisking in between, until the mixture is the consistency of a good milkshake. It doesn't need to be an exact science here though, thicker mixture results in a 'stodgier' Yorkshire pudding. Eggs aren't all the same weight so if 200ml is still too thick, then add a bit more milk.
Line the baking dish with parchment paper. Forget the oil. Add some of the sausage drippings to the batter for flavor and then grease the baking dish with shortening. When you add the batter to the baking dish, the shortening will not be displaced by the batter and help prevent the sticking.
How long can you keep Toad in the Hole in the fridge? Once you've put it out, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours. If you allow any leftovers to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftovers of Toad in the Hole in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.
Can I make it ahead? It's best served right away, but you can make it ahead, or save leftovers and reheat later. Cook, then quickly cool, cover and refrigerate the toad in the hole.
FREEZE AHEAD: Once cool, put the toad-in-the-holes on a lined baking tray and freeze for 4 hours.Pack in freezer bags and freeze for up to one month. Reheat from frozen on a baking tray covered loosely with foil, in a preheated oven at 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6, for 15-20 mins or until piping hot throughout.
The table for Toad in the Hole is about 15 inches across and 24 inches long. The playing surface slopes towards the players who stand behind a line 8 feet from the front of the board. In the centre of the table is a hole of about 2 inches in diameter through which the toads can fall.
Yorkshire pudding is a savory popover-like dish made from a simple blend of eggs, milk, and flour. Yorkshire pudding was originally made with drippings from roasted meat, but many modern recipes use oil and butter in its place.
Do you use plain or self-raising flour for the batter? Self-raising flour helps add air, which results in a light, crispy batter. If you only have plain flour at home, add a little baking powder to the batter.
Introduction: My name is Edwin Metz, I am a fair, energetic, helpful, brave, outstanding, nice, helpful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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