This is perfect for those chilly Autumn evenings. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s recipe of toad in the hole is so different. He adds onions, apples, and prunes, and makes for a delicious change to the “ordinary” toad in the holes.
INGREDIENTS Serves 4
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 large butcher’s sausages
6 shallots, peeled
2 medium eating apples, cored and quartered
12 pitted prunes 1 teaspoon English mustard
2 teaspoons roughly chopped sage, plus a few extra whole leaves
For the batter:
75g plain white flour
75g fine plain wholemeal flour
3 medium eggs
200ml whole milk
Sea salt and black pepper
METHOD
To make the batter, put the flour into a large bowl with a big pinch of salt and make a well in the centre. In another bowl, beat the whole eggs, egg whites and milk thoroughly together, then pour slowly into the flour well, gradually whisking in the flour until you have a smooth batter. Leave the batter to rest for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 210°C
Trickle the oil into a large, metal baking dish, about 35 x 25cm. Add the sausages and turn them in the oil. Cook in the oven for 10minutes
Meanwhile, toss the apple pieces and prunes with the mustard, chopped sage and some salt and pepper.
Re-whisk the batter – it will probably have thickened up a little, in which case, whisk in 1–2 tbsp milk or water to just ‘let it down’ a touch.
Take the roasting tin out of the oven and turn the sausages over.
Arrange the prunes and apples around and between the sausages and onions, scatter in the whole sage leaves if you have some, then quickly pour in the batter and get the whole thing back in the oven quickly.
Bake for about 25 minutes until the batter is risen, crisp and golden.
Serve straight away. This is particularly good with an onion gravy, enriched with a splash of cider, beer or red wine..
Original Recipe Hugh Fearnley-Whingstall
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