Classic English Toad In The Hole Recipe

Have you ever heard of toad in the hole? Despite its strange name, it is in fact a classic English dish that combines two great British foods — pork sausages and Yorkshire puddings — into a delicious meal. Traditionally, sausages are cooked in a simple batter and then served with thick, hot gravy. Crisp, fluffy batter surrounding plump, juicy sausages is perhaps not the most elegant dish, but it is an ultimate comfort food, and we highly recommend giving this dish a try.

Although the name of this traditional English dish implies that, at least at some point in the past, toads were involved, we can happily confirm that no evidence has ever been found that this was the case. According to recipe developer Jennine Rye, like most curiously named dishes from Britain, the name "toad in the hole" has somewhat murky origins, though it's most likely to be a description of the look of the sausages poking out from the batter. Don't let the peculiar and somewhat less-than-delicious name distract you though, as toad in the hole is an absolute delight to eat.

To make this classic English toad in the hole recipe, first you will need to gather the ingredients. You will need good quality breakfast sausages, bacon, sunflower or vegetable oil, fresh rosemary, flour, eggs, whole milk, and a little salt.

The type of sausage used for this recipe is all-important. For the best tasting toad in the hole, you will want to use really good quality, fresh breakfast or country sausages made of pork. If you can find English breakfast sausages, or as they are colloquially known, "bangers," even better!

To begin, preheat the oven to 425 F. For this recipe we recommend using an oven thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature, as the batter won't rise if the oven is not hot enough. Similarly, Rye recommends using a metal baking tray for this toad in the hole recipe, as a ceramic dish will take much longer to heat through, and the batter needs a really hot environment to properly puff up.

While the oven is warming up, wrap one piece of bacon around each sausage and then place them into your metal baking tray. Add the sunflower or vegetable oil to the tray, and once the oven has reached temperature, place the tray into the oven for 10 minutes to begin cooking the sausages.

While the sausages cook in the oven, it is time to mix the toad in the hole batter. To do this, add the flour to a medium sized bowl, make a well in the middle of the flour, and then add both of the eggs. Whisk the eggs and the flour together using a balloon whisk until a thick paste has formed. Then, slowly incorporate the milk to create a smooth and silky batter. At this stage, we recommend transferring the finished batter to a pouring jug, so that it can quickly and easily be poured into the hot tray.

Once the 10 minutes is up and the sausages look lightly browned, it is time to add the batter and the rosemary sprigs to the hot tray. To do this, carefully open the oven door, and, using oven gloves, remove the smoking hot tray containing the sausages before closing the oven door behind you. Place the tray on an even, heat resistant surface and quickly, and safely, pour the batter into the pan. Throw in the rosemary sprigs and then return the tray to the oven.

Allow the toad in the hole to cook for 10 minutes at 425 F before reducing the temperature to 400 F, and allow it to cook for a further 10 minutes, until it is risen, crisp, and golden on top. And remember, don't be tempted to open the oven door to take a peek! Once the toad in the hole is cooked, serve it straight away with fresh greens and gravy. Any leftovers should be stored in the fridge, and can be reheated to the next day.