TOAD in the HOLE

I love it when I cook food that pleases people. There is nothing better than seeing someone tucking into, and enjoying a dish I have lovingly prepared.

This was so true last week when I made TOAD in the HOLE. My husband was so happy. He is very easily pleased!

We had been watching yet another food programme on TV, this time a new one with two young men cooking hearty "man food" It's called the Fabulous Baker Boys, because they are bakers, and not because it's their name.

I could see by the look on my husband's face that he was thinking how nice it would be to sit down to this for dinner. I knew I had some venison sausages in the freezer, so I took them out before going to bed. I know how to keep my man happy!

They were very good quality sausages, so this would take the dish up a notch. Ingredients for the batter were cupboard staples, and a red cabbage I had would make an easy and simple dinner.




I couldn't wait to see his face as I served up.

However, after 37 years of marriage we find it difficult to keep anything from each other, and when he arrived home from work he asked if it was toad in the hole for dinner! He said he'd had a feeling driving home that I had cooked this for him. So no big surprise, but he was still very happy.

I have to say I also enjoyed it. Sometimes the old favourites are the best. I really should keep reminding myself of that.

There are many recipes for the batter but the one I stick to, and it never fails me, is simply 1x1x1, which means 1 cup of plain flour, 1 cup milk and one cup of eggs. I know it seems like a lot of eggs, but as I said, it always works.I add a pinch of salt and on this occasion a tsp of fresh thyme.

I browned the sausages off in on ovenproof frying pan with a red onion cut into wedges. When browned I poured the batter into the pan and put it into a 200c oven for 30 mins.


The results were delicious. One happy hubby to boot. Success.