[blparent] Toad in the Hole

[Jo Elizabeth Pinto]

Since we’ve been talking about making pancakes, I thought I would share a recipe that I really enjoy.  I’ll be cooking it tomorrow for dinner, in fact, since I’ve sort of gotten a craving for it after thinking about baked pancakes.  Toad in the Hole is a traditional English recipe.  Usually you make it by buttering a slice of bread on one side, then using a round cookie cutter to cut out a circle from the middle.  You put the bread on a griddle so the buttered side gets crispy, then drop an egg in the round cutout.  When the egg is cooked to your liking, you lay on a piece of Cheddar cheese, then the top slice of bread.  I’ve never tried making the real version of Toad in a Hole, but this baked pancake type recipe with sausage links is one I like.  This makes a big pan, which is good for entertaining or taking to church potlucks and the like, but you can easily cut the recipe in half for just your family.


Savory Sausage Toad in a Hole

    Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
6 eggs
2 pounds pork sausage links

    Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In a bowl, whisk milk and eggs with salt till all of the yolks are broken and thoroughly mixed in.

3.  Gradually whisk in flour till mixture is smooth.  Let batter stand for 30 minutes.

4.  Meanwhile, prick the sausage links in several places with a fork to prevent them from splitting or bursting and making a greasy mess in your oven.

5.  Place sausage links in a greased 9 by 13 inch baking dish.  Roast sausages in preheated oven, turning once, for 25 to 30 minutes.  Drain off all but about two tablespoons of the fat.  Two tablespoons of fat will cover the bottom of the pan well.

6.  Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees.  Whisk batter to mix in any flour that has stuck to the sides of the bowl.

7.  Pour batter over sausages.  Bake for 25 or 30 minutes, till puffed.  Serve right away.

Jo Elizabeth

Truth is tough. It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch; nay, you may kick it about all day like a football, and it will be round and full at evening.--Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.