Toad In The Hole With Caramelised Onion Gravy
Toad in the hole is a comforting British dinner dish where sausages are cooked inside a Yorkshire pudding. We're serving ours with an easy caramelised onion gravy.
Servings: 6 People
Equipment
- Hand Mixer
- 9" x 13" Roasting Tin
- Mixing Bowl
- Large Jug
- Sieve
- Large Frying Pan
- Digital Food Probe
Ingredients
Yorkshire Pudding Batter
- 6 Large Eggs
- Plain Flour (Same Volume As Eggs)
- Whole Milk
- Cold Water
Toad In The Hole
- 2 tbsp Goose Fat
- 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 8 Pork Sausages
Caramelised Onion Gravy
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 2 White Onions (Peeled & Thinly Sliced)
- 1 tbsp Caster Sugar
- 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 300 ml Red Wine
- 2 tsp Finely Chopped Thyme
- 1 Litre Beef Stock
- Beef Gravy Granules (See Notes)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 60 g Unsalted Butter
Instructions
Yorkshire Pudding Batter
- Crack the eggs into a jug then use a board pen to mark the volume on the side of the jug. Tip the eggs into a mixing bowl.
- Fill the jug with the same volume of plain flour to eggs then add into the bowl with the eggs. Whisk the eggs & flour together by hand, to make a smooth batter (it will be thick!).
- Next, fill the jug up with the same volume of liquid – use ¾ milk & ¼ cold water. Gradually pour this into the batter, whilst whisking. Your Yorkshire pudding batter should be smooth & the consistency of double cream.Example - If you needed 400ml liquid, you'd use 300ml milk & 100ml water!
- Transfer the batter to a container then chill in the fridge overnight before using. Or for at least a couple of hours!
Toad In The Hole
- The next day, preheat an oven to 220°c/200°c fan (428°f/392°f).
- Take the batter out of the fridge & season with a generous pinch of table salt & freshly cracked black pepper. If the batter is a bit thick, thin it out with a splash of water (the batter should have the consistency of double cream).Leave the batter at room temperature whilst the oven preheats.
- Next, add the goose fat & vegetable oil into a 9" x 13" roasting tin then place into the oven & leave to preheat for 15-20 minutes, until the fats are smoking hot.
- When the fats are hot, carefully add in the sausages then cook in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, until browned. Make sure to flip the sausages over halfway through.
- Once the sausages are ready, pour the Yorkshire pudding batter around them then immediately place back into the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the pudding is well risen & a deep golden brown. Serve straight away, with the caramelised onion gravy!Make sure not to open the oven door too early as the pudding will sink! The sausages should be spaced apart & not touching the sides of the tin.
Caramelised Onion Gravy
- Set a large saucepan over a low heat, add in the vegetable oil then leave to heat up for a minute or two.You can make the gravy whilst the toad in the hole is in the oven or ahead of time then reheat it when needed!
- Add the sliced onions into the pan, season with a generous pinch of sea salt then cook until soft & nicely caramelised, stirring regularly. This will take around 15 minutes.
- Once the onions are caramelised, add in the caster sugar & balsamic vinegar then cook for another 3-4 minutes. At this point the onions should be a deep golden brown.
- Next, increase the heat to medium-high, add in the chopped thyme & red wine then continue cooking for another 4-5 minutes, until the wine has reduced into a sticky glaze.
- Once the wine has reduced, pour in the beef stock & bring to the boil. Then gradually stir in gravy granules until your gravy is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (or thicker if you'd prefer).
- To finish, stir in the Worcestershire sauce & butter then season with sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper.
Notes
1. To Cook In An Aga - Cook the toad in the hole on a grid shelf placed onto the floor of the roasting oven. Use the simmering plate to caramelise the onions then move over to the boiling plate to thicken the gravy (after adding in the red wine).
2. Resting Batter - It's key to let the Yorkshire pudding batter rest in the fridge for at least a couple of hours before using, as this hydrates the flour & makes the pudding rise as much as possible. An overnight rest is best but a couple of hours will work as well.
3. Sausages - Using good quality pork sausages makes all the difference with toad in the hole, so I'd recommend visiting your local butcher.
4. Reheating Gravy - The caramelised onion gravy can be made ahead of time & will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Alternatively, it can be made whilst the toad in the hole cooks.
5. Thickening Gravy - I used gravy granules to thicken my gravy but a cornflour slurry will work as well (equal parts cornflour & cold water). As gravy granules can be quite salty, your gravy probably won't need a lot of seasoning.
6. Leftovers - Leftover toad in the hole needs to be stored in the fridge & is best eaten within a couple of days. You can eat leftovers cold or they can be reheated in a 180°c/356°f oven. Make sure to cook leftover toad in the hole until the sausages are piping hot. If the Yorkshire pudding starts to brown too much, cover it with foil.