James Tanner shows us how to cook up a classic favourite and make it even better with tasty sticky onions.
Serves 4
Ingredients
8 great quality sausages (we are using Cumberland for this recipe but if you spend a bit more you can get top of the range pork and spiced apple!)
2 tbsp olive oil
Crushed sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sticky onions
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp clear honey
2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
150ml beef stock
1 tsp chopped thyme leaves
Knob of unsalted butter
For the batter
100g plain flour
2 eggs
300ml milk
Pinch of crushed sea salt
To serve
200g peas
Potatoes
Method
1. For the batter, sift the flour into a mixing bowl with the salt. Make a well in the centre and crack in the eggs, and then gradually pour in the milk beating all the time until you have a smooth batter. Rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7. Put the sausages in a medium roasting tin (so they are quite snug) season with crushed sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes until the sausages are beginning to brown.
3. Remove the roasting tin from the oven and pour the batter over the sausages. Return to the oven for a further 25-30 minutes until the batter is crisp, golden and well risen.
4. Whilst everything is cooking prepare the onions. Simply heat a tbsp of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan, add the onions and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes until soft. Add the honey and balsamic and continue cooking for a further 2 minutes until glossy and sticky then add the beef stock, thyme and simmer together.
5. To serve, slice out a portion of your toad in the hole and spoon over your thyme onion sauce and put on a plate with mashed potato and peas.