Toad in the hole....... at last

For the past four and a bit years I have done most of the cooking, every now and then Glen will take his turn to cook – the effort it takes for him to pick up the phone and order take out is astounding, I jest he does cook every once in a while and he is good at it too, not that he would admit to that. He’d be far more like to say that A) he doesn’t know where the kitchen is and B) he doesn’t know how to use half the stuff in there anyway. The kitchen is mostly my domain and I like it that way. For years I have been cooking his dinner and putting it in front of him and he would say “What is it, is it toad in the hole?” It never was of course. I bought the Nigella Lawson cookbook “Kitchen” and as I was going through it I found a toad in the hole recipe, slightly different to the usual sausages in Yorkshire pudding type recipe. I like unusual, things that don’t conform to the norm. Life is plenty hard enough trying to fit in, to be liked and accepted, it’s hard not to conform to what society expects. I admire those who look different or live alternative life styles. Most ‘normal’ people will say something like ‘they’re only doing it for attention’ or some such. To me though, it shows strength of personality, individuality and character. I am a non-conformist mentally and that’s it, practically I’m too afraid of what other people will think of me and not being liked that I do everything within my capabilities to fit in. So when something like this recipe comes along I jump at the chance to try it, so that my non-conformist ways can come out and safely exercise their liberties within the confines of my four walls, behind closed doors…… Where to be honest nothing I do is normal!

Toad in the hole

350ml Milk

4 eggs

Pinch of salt

6 of your favourite sausages

Tbsp of goose fat, vegetable shortening or oil

1.       Preheat the oven to 220˚C/430˚F. Whisk together the milk and the eggs with the salt, then add the flour and beat it into a smooth batter.

2.       Next you want to squeeze all the sausage meat out of the casings, the easiest way I have found to do this is to cut the sausages in half and then squish it all out, if you squeeze it tight and flat between your thumb and forefinger, you should have no issues completely getting all of the sausage meat, roll each half into a ball so you essentially have 12 meatballs, then squash them down a little bit, so they look like fat mini burgers.

3.       Heat your fat in your roasting tin, on the hob, brown your little fat burgers for about a minute on each side.

4.       Working quickly add the batter straight into the roasting pan and pop it in the oven to bake, it will take about 40 minutes but check on it after 30, it’s done when the edges have risen and are golden and the middle has set.

Serve with a thick gravy.