The classic ‘Toad in the Hole’ is a real family favourite – sausages surrounded by Yorkshire pudding. These little individual ‘toads’ are perfect for young children or when catering for different dietary requirements – vegetarian sausages for some and pork sausages for others, for example.
You may need...
- 'Fits on runners' Yorkshire puddings tin for use with Aga range cookers | non-stick & 'full oven' size
- Frying pan safe for use in the ovens of your Aga range cooker
Ingredients...
- 125g plain flour
- Generous pinch of salt
- ½ tsp. dried sage
- ¼ tsp. English mustard powder
- 2 eggs
- 200ml milk
- 100ml water
- 12 long, thin 'Chipolata' sausages (meat free or meaty!)
Right lets get cooking...
- First, make the batter: mix the flour with the salt, sage and mustard powder in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Crack the eggs into the hole and gradually whisk together, adding a little of the milk to loosen. Keep adding the milk and then the water, whisking all the time, until you have a smooth, runny batter. Set aside to rest for half an hour (or leave in fridge if leaving for longer).
- Heat a little oil in an ovenproof frying pan on the bottom of the roasting oven. Add the sausages to the pan and cook on the floor of the roasting oven, turning occasionally, until lightly brown and cooked through (approximately 10 minutes, depending on size). Remove from oven and cut each sausage in half.
- Drizzle a little of the oil into each hole of the tin and slide the tray onto the top runners in the roasting oven to heat for 5-10 minutes – the oil should be smoking hot when you add the batter.
- Pour the batter into a jug. Working quickly, add two pieces of sausage to each hole and then pour in the batter, dividing evenly between the holes. The batter should sizzle as it hits the hot oil. Carefully slide the tin onto the third runners and cook for 15-20 minutes. After 15 minutes, have a quick peek – you may find they need a few more minutes, depending on the temperature of your roasting oven*.
- Carefully lift the mini toads from the tin and serve with greens and gravy!
Tips for use with Aga range cookers...
- I used the Blake and Bull Yorkshire pudding tray that fits onto the runners – if your tray doesn’t fit on the runners, sit it on a grid shelf on the third runners but be sure to check after 15 minutes.
- To ensure a good rise from your batter, make these when the oven is at its hottest. These won’t work so well if you make them after a heavy cooking session.
- The exact oven temperatures vary according to the age of Aga range cookers and the model so it is hard to give precise timings. I suggest checking after 15 minutes – don’t worry about the batter collapsing as the cast iron ovens ensure that there is minimal heat loss when the door is opened.
- I like to cook sausages in a pan on the floor of the roasting oven but you can also grill them at the top of the roasting oven without the need for oil if you prefer.
- I like my Yorkshire pudding batter nice and crispy at the edges. If you prefer a softer batter, use 300ml milk instead of the mix of milk and water.