Toad in the hole is a hearty winter warmer that kids will love.
Toad in the hole dates back to 18th century Britain when poorer families were looking for ways to make their expensive meat go further. What better way to do so than by floating your precious, juicy sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter to create a dish worthy of kings (on a shoestring). The trick when cooking a toad in the hole is to resist opening the oven while it's cooking so you get perfect, crisp Yorkshire pudding batter – and the sausages are cooked all the way through. Serve with lashings of piping hot gravy.
Ingredients
- 30g (1oz) dripping or lard
- 454-500g packet good-quality pork and herb sausages
- 300ml (1/2 pint) milk
- 125g (4oz) plain flour
- 2 medium eggs
- Salt and pepper
For the gravy:
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 100ml beef stock, from a cube
- 2tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1tsp cornflour, mixed with a little water
Method
- Set the oven to fairly hot gas mark 6 or 200°C.
- Place the dripping or lard in a smallish metal tin and place in the oven for 3-4 mins, or until melted. Add the sausages to the pan and turn to coat in the melted fat.
- Bake, towards the top of the oven for 15-20 mins or until the sausages are an even golden colour.
- While the sausages are cooking, prepare the batter. Pour the milk into the bowl of the food processor and add the flour, eggs and seasoning and whizz until blended. Add the finely chopped sage at this stage for a twist. Chill the batter until it's needed.
- When the sausages are browned pour over the batter - working quickly so as not to lose too much heat from the oven and immediately return the tin to the oven.
- Bake for about 20-30 mins or until the batter has risen and is golden in colour and crisp. Serve immediately.
For the gravy:
Cook the red onion in the sausage fat from your cooking pan.- Once they are caramelised add the stock and balsamic vinegar to the cooked onions in the pan.
- Bring to the boil.
- Add the cornflour, mixed with a little water, to thicken.
Top tips for cooking toad in the hole
For a delicious twist that will make your toad in the hole really stand out, add finely chopped sage to your batter to give a herby flavour to your meal.
You can easily make this dish vegetarian by swapping the sausages for plant-based alternatives.
We’d recommend dabbing or blotting the toad in the hole with kitchen paper once its cooled slightly from the oven. This will help to take off any excess oil that may be left on the Yorkshire pudding after baking.
Why won't my toad in the hole rise?
If your toad in the hole has more of a cakey consistency than the light and airy batter you're after, then it could be to do with the dish you're using. You might think a stoneware dish will work just as well but really a metal tin is needed to conduct enough heat for the batter to rise as required.
FAQs
Egg in a Basket features an egg fried in the hole of a buttery slice of bread. The dish goes by several other names as well; Americans sometimes call it Toad in the Hole, but that title more properly refers to the traditional English dish of Yorkshire pudding with sausage and onion gravy.
What is the meaning behind toad in the hole? ›
'Toad in the hole' is just a quaint little nickname given to sausages in batter - or Yorkshire pudding, as we proudly call it in the U.K. The origins of the name are shrouded in mystery, but seem to date from the 18th century, when you can find references to 'pigeons in a hole' in old recipe books.
Why is it called toad in the hole egg? ›
It may also derive from the "living entombed animal" phenomenon of live frogs or toads supposedly being found encased in stone, which was a popular hoax / false belief of the late 18th century. The term is sometimes used for "egg in the basket" (an egg fried in a hole of a slice of bread).
What is another name for Toad in the Hole breakfast? ›
Names and appearances in pop culture
There are many names for the dish, including "bullseye eggs", "eggs in a frame", "egg in a hole", "eggs in a nest", "gashouse eggs", "gashouse special", "gasthaus eggs", "hole in one", "one-eyed Jack", "one-eyed Pete", "one-eyed Sam", "pirate's eye", and "popeye".
What is Yorkshire pudding made of? ›
Yorkshire pudding is a savory popover-like dish made from a simple blend of eggs, milk, and flour. Yorkshire pudding was originally made with drippings from roasted meat, but many modern recipes use oil and butter in its place.
Why is it called Yorkshire pudding? ›
Well, in Yorkshire at this time, around 1747, Hannah Glasse, who was the 'Nigella' of the day, renamed it 'Yorkshire pudding'. It's thought that the use of coal in the ovens of Yorkshire, a perk of the job for the miners, meant the puddings actually rose due to the higher oven temperatures.
What to serve with toad in the hole? ›
Serve at the table with the Toad in the hole, mashed potatoes, greens and baked beans or maybe a green salad if you're feeling a little guilty!
What are Yorkshire puddings served with? ›
As a first course, it can be served with onion gravy. For a main course, it may be served with meat and gravy, and is part of the traditional Sunday roast, but can also be filled with foods such as bangers and mash to make a meal. Sausages can be added to make toad in the hole.
Can I use a cake tin for toad in the hole? ›
You can use any oven-safe dish, but ceramic and glass dishes take longer to heat up which might affect the rise of your Yorkshire pudding. Why does my toad in the hole not rise in the middle? If you are using a metal tin and are sure your oven is hot enough, it could be because your tin is too small.
What do you call an egg in the middle of toast? ›
While you'd rarely find people tinkering with the name eggs Benedict, what to call a fried-egg-in-toast remains in flux today. It's earned a slew of monikers, from the strange to the provocative: bird's nest, egg-in-a-basket, the Popeye, the one-eyed jack, and in a confusing twist to Brits, a toad-in-a-hole.
Toad in the hole is a traditional British dish comprised of sausages baked into a giant Yorkshire pudding, typically served with an onion gravy. Yorkshire pudding is similar to popovers in the US and Dutch baby pancakes.
Why does toad in the hole not rise? ›
The flour should be plain (all-purpose) flour and not self-raising. However it is most likely that the batter isn't quite cooking properly due to the dish. Stoneware tends to heat up very slowly and doesn't give the instant hit of heat that the batter needs to help it to rise properly.
Why is it called hobo eggs? ›
A hobo is probably called that because it's made by throwing a bunch of ingredients into a single pan. As far as I know, it always contains eggs, cheese, and potatoes, and some sort of meat.
Why is toad in the hole soggy? ›
There are a few things that will make your batter soggy and stop it from rising nicely. You need to make sure your batter is a good consistency – not too thick and not too thin. This recipe seems to work nicely for us. If your batter still isn't rising well it could be that you haven't used enough oil.
What do you call a piece of toast with an egg in the middle? ›
While you'd rarely find people tinkering with the name eggs Benedict, what to call a fried-egg-in-toast remains in flux today. It's earned a slew of monikers, from the strange to the provocative: bird's nest, egg-in-a-basket, the Popeye, the one-eyed jack, and in a confusing twist to Brits, a toad-in-a-hole.
Do American toads dig holes? ›
These toads eat a variety of foods such as worms, ants, spiders, mealworms, crickets, slugs and more. American toads hibernate during the winter. They will usually dig backwards and bury themselves in the dirt of their summer home, but they may also overwinter in another area nearby.
What is the Old English word for toad? ›
Etymology. From Middle English tode, toode, tadde, tade, from Old English *tāde, a shortened variant of Old English tādie, tādiġe (“toad”).
What is another name for eggs in a basket? ›
While this dish is commonly called “eggs in a basket”, “egg in a hole”, “toad in a hole”, or “egg in a nest”. The correct name is “Alabama Eggs” because they are in bread. Breakfast. Egg in the nest.
