Toad in the Hole is Uniquely British Comfort Food

_{^{Toad in the hole. Credit: Copyright 2015 Sue Style}}The British like to mock what they love best. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the irreverent names they give to favorite foods -- think bubble and squeak (fried cabbage and potatoes), stargazy pie (a pie with sardines poking their heads out through the pastry), bangers and mash (sausages and mashed potatoes) or even (dare we mention) spotted dick (a steamed pudding made with dried fruit).My personal favorite is toad in the hole. This epic dish of sausages baked in batter -- the same as used for Yorkshire puddings -- is a kind of distant cousin of pigs in a blanket. The crucial difference is that the sausages, instead of being tightly swathed in a blanket of pastry, are reclining in a delicious duvet of batter, which billows up agreeably around them. A good toad (as it's familiarly known) is perfect comfort food for the depths of winter.
The original from my childhood had only sausages, which from memory were a sickly pallid pink, suspiciously straight, very smoothly textured and terminally bland. For a properly tasty toad, I prefer a seriously meaty pork sausage, quite coarsely ground. I like to add bacon chunks too. You could think of it as a way to get the full English breakfast, but for brunch or supper and served with chutney and salad.Here are a couple of hints to help you arrive at the perfect toad in the hole. First off, make the batter a little ahead -- an hour is enough to allow the starch molecules in the flour to relax and absorb the milk and water, which gives a lighter result. Secondly, give the bacon and sausages a bit of a fry-up first so they take on a little color. You can do this in a skillet or in a roasting pan in the oven -- the same one in which you will bake the dish. Thirdly, use a metal roasting pan, never a ceramic or glass dish, which is the surest way to a soggy toad. Finally, heat is of the essence. The oven and the roasting pan should be preheated, so that when you pour in the batter it makes a satisfying sizzle and starts to set lightly in the bottom, providing a base for the sausages and bacon to be embraced by the billowing batter.Toad in the HolePrep time: 15 minutes, plus 1 hour to rest the batterCook time: 45 minutesTotal time: 1 hour 45 minutesYield: Makes 8 servingsIngredientsFor the batter:1/2 cup (125 milliliters) water1/2 cup (125 milliliters) milk4 ounces all-purpose flour2 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil4 eggsA pinch of salt
For the sausages and bacon:10 ounces (300 grams) cured or smoked slab bacon4 coarse-cut pork sausages, about 12 ounces (350 grams)
Directions:1. Place all the batter ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth. Scrape down the sides and blend again. Refrigerate the batter for about one hour.2. Cut rind off the slab bacon and excise any gristly bits. Slice the bacon thickly and cut each slice in squares.3. Cut the sausages in 1-inch (2.5-centimeter) thick slices.4. Put the bacon in a frying pan and fry gently till the fat runs and the bacon begins to take a little color, turning the slices once. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and tip excess fat into a side dish.5. Add the sausage slices to the pan and fry till lightly colored, turning them until evenly browned.6. Pour about 1 tablespoon of reserved bacon fat into a roasting pan about 10 inches by 12 inches (25 centimeters by 30 centimeters).7. Heat the oven to 425 F (220 C).8. When the oven is good and hot, put the roasting pan inside to heat the bacon fat. Remove pan from the oven and roll the fat around to coat the bottom of the pan -- adding a little more fat if necessary.9. Pour in the batter, then add the fried bacon and sausages, distributing them evenly around the pan.10. Return the pan to the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until the batter is a beautifully burnished brown and nicely risen. Serve with chutney and salad.Copyright Sue Style via Zester Daily and Reuters Media Express