Toad-in-the-hole

Tam West

Inspiration for this recipe came from British food writer Nigel Slater. He uses six fat pork sausages with the skins removed and the meat wrapped in prosciutto, serrano ham, pancetta or streaky bacon, for his toad in the hole.

Ingredients

2	Eggs
1 cup	Plain flour
150 ml	Milk, full cream
150 ml	Water
1 tsp	Dijon mustard
450 g	Prime beef mince, coarse ground, seasoned, shaped into 6 sausages (Main)
6 slices	Pancetta
45 g	Butter
2 Tbsp	Parsley, finely chopped

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 220C.
2. Whisk together the eggs, flour, milk, water and mustard, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside for 15 minutes.
3. Wrap each freeform sausage in a slice of pancetta.
4. Place the butter in a medium-sized wide ovenproof dish and place in the oven. Allow the butter to melt, sizzle and smoke.
5. Pour in the batter mixture. Arrange the sausages on top, then place in the oven. Cook for 25-30 minutes until well puffed and the sausages are cooked.
6. Sprinkle parsley over before serving, if using. Serve toad-in-the-hole with an onion gravy (see below). Vine tomatoes roasted until their skins split are good here too.

Quick onion gravy

Soften 1 large thinly sliced onion in a little oil or butter. Reduce 1 pouch of beef jus until syrupy, season and add the onion.