Toad in the hole

I’m writing this blog post in May. I’m putting that fact first simply to remind myself that no one has invented time travel as far as we know. It just feels as if Superman has spun the world backwards on it’s axis and we have returned to last October once more. So I’m back to cooking Autumnal meals.

OH has a rule that we should only have a roast if there is an R in the month. The hot weather means the house is  too warm when I put the oven on after that apparently. Pah! Not in 2012 it won’t be. I may well have to break that rule this year. This weather is so miserable, cold and wet that we need a hot filling meal inside us when we get home. Oh heavens I sound like my Nan speaking but she did have a point. So it’s back to hearty meals preferably with lashings of gravy, and the odd glass of blackberry gin, for medicinal purposes only you understand.

Toad in the hole.

1 large solid well seasoned roasting pan, by which I mean often used and possibly a little blackened around the edges.

12 meaty chipolata sausages of your choice,

125g plain flour

2 large eggs

half a pint of milk

pinch of salt, grind or two of balck pepper

large knob of lard (if my teens are reading this vegetable oil is fine too), actually no it isn’t, lard gets really hot which is what you need and I think it smells better than any Yankee Candle!

onion gravy

1 large onion finely sliced

1/2 pint vegetable stock

butter

2 tsp flour

salt

Preheat the oven to 200c

Put the onions and butter into a pan, cook gently on a medium heat until caramelised and sticky. This will take between 20 and 30 minutes. Keep stirring every so often.

Cook the chipolatas in the roasting pan for 10 minutes with a tiny piece of lard to prevent the sausages sticking. Whilst the sausages are cooking put the flour and salt into a roomy bowl, whisk in the eggs and flour to make a smooth batter. Leave to stand.

Remove the part cooked sausages from the roasting pan and  set aside. Turn up the oven as high as it will go. Add the remaining lard to the pan and return to the oven. When the oven has reached maximum temperature switch a ring on on the hob and take the pan from the oven and place on the hob.

Immediately pour the batter into the pan, it will sizzle and puff up at the edges. Working quickly place the sausages onto the batter and pop back in the oven.

Bake for between 20 and 25 minutes until risen and golden.

To make the gravy, add a little knob of butter to the caramelised onion, stir in the flour and cook out, making a roux. Slowly add the vegetable stock stirring as you go, until the gravy is the thickness you and your family enjoy.

At the dinner table discuss how the ark building plans are going as you devour this magnificent, warming meal

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