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.
Usually in America, toad in the hole refers to an egg cooked in the hole cut out of a piece of bread. But in England, it's sausages cooked in what is essentially Yorkshire pudding.
Toad-in-the-hole or sausage toad is a traditional English dish of sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter, usually served with onion gravy and vegetables.
Toad in the Hole needs a hot dish with plenty of oil. Using a metal baking tin and adding the batter quickly is recommended. Also, the dish needs to be large enough so that the batter can creep around the edges (at least 30cm x 25cm ideally).
Despite popular belief, there is no record of the dish ever being made with toad. The origin of the name is unclear, but it may refer to the way toads wait for their prey in their burrows, with their heads poking out, just as sausages peep through the batter.
In the United States, the latter refers to a dish that consists of an egg fried in the hole of a buttery slice of bread, whereas in the United Kingdom, toad in the hole is the English dish of Yorkshire pudding with sausage and onion gravy.
Well, in Yorkshire at this time, around 1747, Hannah Glasse, who was the 'Nigella' of the day, renamed it 'Yorkshire pudding'. It's thought that the use of coal in the ovens of Yorkshire, a perk of the job for the miners, meant the puddings actually rose due to the higher oven temperatures.
Rosemary and mustard powder give a fancy twist to this classic comfort food. Make this herb and mustard toad-in-the-hole, then check out our classic toad-in-the-hole. Use up any leftover batter with our yorkshire puddings or customise your fillings in our yorkshire pudding wrap.
Pairing Toad-in-a-Hole with wines involves balancing its rich and savory flavors. Recommended wines include dry German Riesling, Saint-Émilion, Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc, and red Patrimonio from Corsica.
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. You can use any oven-safe dish, but ceramic and glass dishes take longer to heat up which might affect the rise of your Yorkshire pudding.
Our answer. The batter in a toad in the hole should rise up but will be airy and crisp rather than spongy or cakey. 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.
To stop the batter of your toad in the hole from sticking to the baking tin you need to make sure it is well oiled and the oil is smoking hot before adding the batter. Use an oil that can cook at high heat such as sunflower oil and leave it to heat up in the oven for at least 10 minutes before adding the batter.
Working quickly and carefully, pour the rested batter (give it one last quick stir) around the sausages, partially covering them (I did this in the reverse order, putting the batter down and then laying the sausages, which is also fine, but makes the sausages float on top of the batter at the end).
Toad in the Hole pairs well with various sides. Some good options include roasted vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Simple boiled veggies like peas, filling potatoes and a side salad.
Make sure the the fat is really hot before you add the batter. Really, really hot oil. It has to be smoking as you pour the batter in. Don't, under any circ*mstances open the oven door during cooking or they will sink.
Egg-in-a-hole has also been known by many other names over the years, such as "egg-in-a-basket," "one-eyed jack," "gashouse eggs," and "spit in the ocean." Regardless, egg-in-a-hole remains a popular breakfast option today and has been featured in many movies and TV shows throughout the years.
The name toad in the hole is sometimes used for this dish, though that name more commonly refers to sausages cooked in Yorkshire pudding batter. The dish is also known as Guy Kibbee eggs, due to its preparation by actor Guy Kibbee in the 1935 Warner Bros film Mary Jane's Pa.
(toud) noun. 1. any of various tailless amphibians that are close relatives of the frogs in the order Anura and that typically have dry, warty skin and are terrestrial or semiterrestrial in habit. Compare frog1 (sense 1)
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