Toad in the Hole recipe
It is one of those funny British dishes you hear the name of, if you’re unfamiliar of the term, and say to yourself… “Toads??? No, thanks! I will have something else”… but no need to be alarmed, ha ha!, this is a delicious comforting recipe to enjoy in the company of others, that I can assure you, you will be glad you looked past the name and gave it a try. I mean, after all, it is just sausages cooked in a Yorkshire pudding. What’s so bad about that?
Where did the name come from?
The name “Toad in the Hole” is thought to have originated as a humorous description of the sausages peeking out through the batter, resembling toads poking their heads out of holes, in the way they would wait for their pray in their burrows. Even back then we still had our wits and giggles about us it would appear.
However, the name is a mystery, with several stories of speculation behind it, one suggestion, refers to a popular hoax/false belief of the late 18th century of live frogs or toads being encased in stone. If that was the late 18th century, and there is publications from the 17th century of the dish, then I can’t see the connection, personally. Can you?
Born in the 18th century
Batter puddings became popular in the 18th century. However, dishes like toad in the hole appeared in print as early as 1762, when it was described as a “vulgar” name for a “small piece of meat baked in a large pudding”. In 1747, Hannah Glasse’s The Art of Cookery listed a recipe for “Pigeon in a hole”, calling for pigeon rather than sausages to be used in the dish.
Originally, you see, the dish was made with leftover meats to spread ingredients further, in particular sausage, to working-class families who had to be resourceful with their food and come up with inventive ideas to keep putting food on the table.
20th and 21st century
During World War I, in the 20th century, school children were often fed toad in the hole for their midday meal. School dinners have always been a British delight, they certainly were when I was growing up. Not sure what they are like today? It was always good home-cooked traditional food what I remember of it.
In 2017, a marketing survey found that 23% of British people have never tried toad in the hole, and this makes very sad. I dread to think what it might be today in 2024! What is happening here to forget our roots like this? Maybe its due to the rise in American-style fast foods that have become more dominant in our society. Or maybe, parents are not seeing any value in cooking home-cooked meals for their kids anymore because of how much free time they have to themselves? Which really is a shame, because it is this sort of food that gives you your identity and an understanding of your own culture and the feeling for what we have endured as a nation, century, after century to where it is today to keep us strong and healthy.
It isn’t surprising that with us becoming relaxed with our own customs, that obesity is on the rise, year-on-year, with all these quick fixes industries keep chucking at us, which are usually heavily processed, cheaply made, but still sold to us at a higher cost than if you made it yourself with better ingredients.
Or maybe, I am completely off the mark and there’s more to it than meets the eye, but something is going on that sees us more and more move away from our roots and identity. I have had my own set of problems over the course of my life around junk foods, and fast food, so I know it can really cause damage to ones health, mind and wellbeing.
Keys to a successful Yorkshire pudding
I felt the need to include this section, because I often hear people say when they try to make Yorkshire puddings they end up flat as pancakes and do not rise for them. I know if you follow this recipe to the letter you will get great results.
The main key points to remember for a successful Yorkshire pudding:
- Have your batter mixture really cold, and then pour that straight into the really hot oil, which will briefly sizzle, put keep pouring until just past quarter of the roasting tray, in a quick and efficient manner to get the oven door closed again to avoid losses in temperature. I pull the oven shelf out a little of the way, wearing an oven glove, and pour it in like that, as opposed to completely removing the tray from the oven, which results in the temperature lowering quickly.
- Keep the oven door closed at all times while it cooks, until at least 25 minutes in, before having a peek behind the oven door to see if it needs a little longer, or it is ready.
- Lift the cooked sausages out the roasting pan onto a plate, while the beef dripping heats up to smoking hot.
Toad in the Hole
Ingredients
- 8 Good Quality Pork Sausages I like ones with a higher pork content.
- 200 g Plain Flour Sieved
- 8 Free Range Eggs
- 1 Pint Whole Milk
- 2 tbsp Beef Dripping
- Sea Salt to taste.
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add your sieved plain flour, and the 8 eggs, and whisk into a thick paste.
- Gradually pour in the milk, whisking as you go to remove all the lumps and the batter is smooth.
- Season with salt, taste the mix, and then adjust with more if needed.
- Put the Yorkshire pudding mixture into the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill, overnight would be better if you can. (I do mine the night before and then leave it until the next day – if I remember that is lol)
- Pre-heat your oven to 200℃/392℉/G6.
- Roast your sausages in a little of the dripping until they are nearly cooked in a large roasting tray
- Remove from the oven tray, and set aside on a plate briefly.
- Add the rest of the beef dripping and place it into the pre-heated oven for around 5 minutes or so, until the oil is smoking hot. (That pudding is going to rise up so make sure there is no oven shelf sitting above the middle shelf. or it will block it while it cooks)
- Add your sausages back into the hot oil, and pour your really cold Yorkshire pudding batter just past quarter of the way up the the roasting tray, it will sizzle when the cold meets the hot, which is want to want for a crispy bottom.
- Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the pudding is a deep golden brown all over. (Do not be tempted to open the oven door until after at least 25 minutes to have a quick check or it will sink and not rise up)
- Remove from the oven, cut into four, with two sausages per person and serve with gravy, creamy mashed potatoes, and seasonal vegetables.