Toad in the Hole

Toad in the hole is a winner as long as you get the batter right. This recipe rarely fails.

Serves 2:

1 egg
some plain flour
some milk
vegetable/sunflower oil
4 sausages (meat, veggie or vegan)
fresh rosemary (optional)

First heat the oven to 220 C.
Then make the batter. In a bowl, beat the egg, then beat in enough flour to make it into a thick batter, the consistency of thick porridge or wallpaper paste - it shouldn't be a dough but there shouldn't be liquid falling out of it. About 2-3 tablespoons should do it. Then add milk, bit by bit, until it's the consistency of double cream, or yoghurt. Add a splash of the oil and sit it in the fridge for half an hour.

While it's sitting, put a roasting dish (big enough to fit 4 sausages in but not too big) with 1-2 tablespoons of oil in, into the hot oven.

Brown the sausages in a frying pan with a tint bit of oil - they will leak their own fat you so hardly need any. Take off the heat when browned a bit.

Get you batter out of the fridge and add a bit of salt and pepper. The oil in the dish int he oven should be all shimmery due to the heat by now.  Very carefully add your sausages in there and then pour the batter over the top.  This is when to poke the rosemary sprig in there if you have one.  Whack it back in the oven and keep the door shut. Decrease the heat to about 200 C and leave it for about 30-40 minutes.  You can tell it's done when it's risen up quite high and is golden brown. As long as the oil in the roasting tray was hot enough it should be fine. The oil in the batter will quickly heat up too and cook it from the inside, stopping it from going soggy.

Good with green veg. And, of course, gravy.