a classic toad in the hole

Sleepy weekends mean comfort food and this weekend it had to be toad in the hole. I recently discovered Sloane's sausages when I enjoyed a fantastic brunch at Chu here in Bangkok. A couple of weeks later I  happened to discover them for sale in the fancy supermarket near my apartment. If you are in Bangkok and you have the opportunity you really must go to Chu and also seek out Sloane's sausages. They are something special and rival the best 'artisanal' sausages you can get anywhere.

When you've got awesome sausages like these you need to make something to celebrate them and you don't get much more celebratory than toad in the hole. This is my version and it's super easy and very very tasty. We ate it with steamed broccoli and some of Sloane's glorious onion gravy. Yum!



Ingredients
5 or 6 cumberland sausages
125g plain (all purpose) flour
2 eggs
2 tbsp lard or dripping
150ml milk
150ml beer
salt & pepper

1. Place the flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Beat together the eggs and milk and pour into the flour little by little mixing thoroughly as you go making sure to get rid of any lumps. I did this with a hand whisk but by all means use an electric one if you've got one. 
2. Once the flour, milk and eggs are combined add the beer, salt and pepper. Mix everything together thoroughly, cover then leave to the side for about 30 minutes while you prep everything else or have a cup of tea.
3. Preheat your oven and roasting tin to 220C. While you're doing this thoroughly brown your sausages in a frying pan on your hob. Some people like to roast them in the oven but I prefer this way. 
4. Once you're ready to go, bring out your roasting pan from the oven add the lard or dripping. Put it back in the oven or heat on the hob (this will depend on your roasting pan/hob) until the fat is smoking hot.
5. Now, carefully add the fat from cooking the sausages, followed by the batter and then place the sausages. When you pour in the batter there should be an audible sizzling as it hits the fat. 
6. Put the pan back into the oven and roast for 35-45minutes or until the batter is risen, golden brown and cooked through. Don't be tempted to open the oven door while it's cooking though, it might stop the batter rising.
7. Serve with a good onion gravy, mashed potato and peas or broccoli. 

Belgian Beer Onion Gravy

This recipe started as another experimental creation that worked out well. We recently bought some fantastic Pembury Porkers sausages from this farm shop on the way back from a camping trip. Grilled up with some mashed potato and onion gravy, this was an excellent way to finish the bank holiday weekend.

Ingredients
1 tsp oil
1 large onion, sliced
couple of sprigs of rosemary
couple of bay leaves
330ml bottle of Gulden Draak or other dark, Belgian beer.
beef stock cube (optional)
1 tsp agave syrup, sugar or honey
Worcestershire Sauce to taste
Good quality vinegar to taste
salt and pepper to taste

1. Over a medium heat fry the onions with the bay leaves and rosemary until they have taken on a golden colour with some decent crispy bits. This will probably take around 10-20 minutes. The longer you take over this the sweeter the final flavour will be. Colour on the onions intensifies the flavour of the gravy. 
2. Open and carefully pour in the Gulden Draak beer. It will probably bubble up a little but this will quickly subside. Add the beef stock cube if you're using it then cook the beer down until the smell of alcohol is gone and the liquid has reduced a little. This will be around 5 minutes depending on the heat you're using.
3. Taste your gravy carefully, it will be very hot, and adjust the flavour according to your taste using the sugar, worcestershire sauce, vinegar and salt and pepper. I put in 1tsp of agave, roughly  1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce, 2 tsp white wine vinegar and a good sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper. I did not add any salt. 
4. Cook for another minute or two to help the flavours mix together, then serve.