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Food Comics: Toad in a Hole

Picture of Tom O.
Tom O.
4 min read

We are pleased to introduce Food Comics from The Chopping Block where our resident Cartoonist Tom O'Brien illustrates his cooking adventures. Here, he shows us how to make a classic British recipe and a meaty variation on a Yorkshire Pudding. This simple, family-sized dish works well for supper or Sunday brunch.

Hello again, Food Fans! Every now and then, seemingly out of nowhere, I sometimes get a craving for a dish that I haven't had since I was little. I had one of those cravings the other day for Toad in the Hole This is a classic British dish bough over from Thatcham, England by my grandmother. It essentially boils down to sausage in Yorkshire pudding. This recipe makes enough for 4 but can be scaled up or down. I recommend serving with mash potatoes and gravy. Here's what you'll need: 8 large sausages 1 cup flour 1 tbsp mustard 1 cup milk 2 eggs 4 tbsp fat When choosing your sausage, you can go in a lot of different directions. Classic Toad in the Hole uses pork sausage links, but I like to make mine with flavored chicken sausage. I also know other people who use breakfast sausage in their Toad in the Hole and serve it with maple syrup instead of gravy. Others use ground sausage and mix it into the batter after browning. When it comes to fat, you also have a few options. You can use butter or vegetable oil, but the fat given off by the sausage while cooking, or the leftover fat from bacon, will make for a more flavorful dish. If you want to use the sausage drippings as your fat, cook your sausage before making the batter so that you'll have the drippings when the time comes. If you don't have 4 tbsp of drippings, feel free to supplement with another fat. First off, mix the flour, ½ cup milk, and the first egg together in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Then add the mustard, second egg and the rest of the milk, again whisking until smooth. Smoothness is important here, so I recommend using electric beaters or a mixer to reach the desired consistency. Let the batter rest for 15 to 30 minutes. You want small bubbles to start to form. While the batter rests, preheat your oven to 450. Place a 9-inch square baking pan with your fat in the bottom into the oven while it preheats. The pan may smoke a little while it's in the oven. This is normal. While the oven heats, cook the sausage. In a large skillet, cook the sausages until they develop a light brown color on all sides. Alternatively, you can simply put your sausages into the pan when it's first placed in the oven. Traditionally, Toad in the Hole leaves the sausage links intact, but I like to cut mine into slices after the initial browning and brown on both cut sides as well. Once the oven is preheated, remove the baking pan and lay in the sausage. Remix the batter for consistency, then carefully pour the batter into the baking pan. The fat will be hot and may spit like bacon in a pan. Return the pan to the oven. Bake a to 450 for 5 to 10 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 400 and cook for 20 to 30 more minutes. The batter should rise and turn a deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and slice. Serve immediately. Happy eating!

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toadinthehole