Toad in the Hole

I don't know when or why this happened, but at some point my family cooking became an equal clone to comfort food. School work is not easy, neither are hormonal teenagers, neither are grumpy teachers. But do you know what is easy? Making a warm, cosy, flavourful pot of something completely anti-restaurant quality, but completely something your face is ready for. If you'll pardon the innuendo.

Something with such a weird unappetising name always promises to be delicious. Take pig's bum, for example: a stodgy, sticky pot of cake, served with custard and an anus of rhubarb compote. Toad in the Hole is just as delectable, a Yorkshire Pudding cradling various sausages. It has to be served with onion gravy, but for the vegetables I was for some reason in the mood for ratatouille.

My batter method turns out to be an actual debated thing, I just whisk the eggs and milk before adding the flour for all batter like pancakes because it's much easier than whisking eggs into flour and then gradually whisking the milk. I don't think it's that that makes a difference, I think the important thing is that you make the batter as early on in the cooking process as possible, let it stand, and have the oven and fat in the tin very, very hot.

1)Whisk 3 eggs in a bowl, with around half of a jug of 225ml of milk (I just eyeball this) and 200g plain flour with a good pinch of salt and crushed pepper and mix this base well until you have a lump free and thick batter. Gradually whisk in the remaining half of milk, which is around 110ml. Or just whizz everything together in a processor. Let it rest, covered, whilst you prepare the onion gravy.

2)Finely slice an onion, I like it in strips for gravy, and brown it in some oil. Unlike normal, you do want them to colour here. Add about 600ml water, a glug of the trusty marsala and some chicken stock powder or pot. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat, and simmer whilst whisking in some cornflour made to a paste with a little water. When it's nice and thick and the alcohol has calmed down, leave it to stand.

3)I used to brown the sausages beforehand on the stove, but it occurred to me how easy it is to just do that in the oven. Warm some vegetable fat or coconut oil in the tin at a 220 degree oven, and throw in however many sausages you want, but don't have too many in one tin or they'll obstruct the growth of the Yorkshire pudding. When they're about half cooked, throw in the batter, quickly shut the door, and bake for a good 20 minutes, until puffy and golden. Serve with your onion gravy!