Name: Ultimate toad in the hole
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 100g plain flour; 1 egg; 300ml equal mixture milk and water; 8 rashers streaky bacon; 8 good-quality pork sausages; 1 onion thinly sliced; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 onion thinly sliced; 2 tsp plain flour; 2 tsp ready-made English mustard; 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce; 600ml chicken or vegetable stock

For the batter

100g plain flour
1 egg
300ml equal mixture milk and water

For the toad

8 rashers streaky bacon
8 good-quality pork sausages
1 onion
thinly sliced
1 tbsp vegetable oil

For the gravy

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion
thinly sliced
2 tsp plain flour
2 tsp ready-made English mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
or soy sauce
600ml chicken or vegetable stock

Method

step 1
Preheat the oven to fan 200C/conventional 220C/ gas 7. Sift the flour and a make a well in the centre and crack in the egg. Beat lightly,then gradually pour in half the milk and water, beating all the time to form a smooth,thick batter. Continue for 2 minutes,then stir in the remaining liquid. (The batter can be made several hours ahead of time, although contrary to popular opinion it is not improved by standing.)
step 2
Wrap a bacon rasher around each sausage then put them, spaced apart, in a large roasting tin (preferably metal). Scatter over the onion and drizzle with oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the bacon and sausages are starting to colour and the onion is tinged brown at the edges.
step 3
Remove from the oven and quickly pour the batter over the sausages. Return to the oven for a further 35-40 minutes until the batter is crisp and well risen.
step 4
Meanwhile,make the gravy. Heat the vegetable oil in a small pan, add the onion and fry gently for 5 minutes until softened and lightly coloured. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the mustard, Worcestershire or soy sauce and stock and bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer for 15 minutes, then taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve the toad with cabbage or broccoli and lashings of gravy.