Toad-in-the-hole, onion and apple gravy | Pork recipes | Jamie Oliver (2024)

FAQs

How to stop Toad in the Hole from going soggy? ›

There are a few things that will make your batter soggy and stop it from rising nicely. You need to make sure your batter is a good consistency – not too thick and not too thin. This recipe seems to work nicely for us. If your batter still isn't rising well it could be that you haven't used enough oil.

What is the best baking tin for toad in the hole? A metal tin with fairly high sides is best because metal is a very efficient conductor of heat and getting the batter hot is essential for a good rise.

Toad in the hole is a traditional English dish consisting of sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter, usually served with onion gravy and vegetables. Historically, the dish has also been prepared using other meats, such as rump steak and lamb's kidney.

Getting your Yorkshires to rise:

Toad in the Hole needs a hot dish with plenty of oil. Using a metal baking tin and adding the batter quickly is recommended. Also, the dish needs to be large enough so that the batter can creep around the edges (at least 30cm x 25cm ideally).

Then add in the milk some at a time, whisking in between, until the mixture is the consistency of a good milkshake. It doesn't need to be an exact science here though, thicker mixture results in a 'stodgier' Yorkshire pudding. Eggs aren't all the same weight so if 200ml is still too thick, then add a bit more milk.

Get a flexible silicone pan (loaf or shallow square both fine) and your toad in the hole will never stick. They're pretty cheap, and very much worth it. You should also be able to use less oil this way, just shake the sausages around to coat the insides before the batter goes in.

Use Enough Fat Whether you use oil or dripping, not using enough fat in the bottom of your oven dish when making toad in the hole will prevent you from getting the perfect rise. You clearly don't want to overdo it and have a greasy toad in the hole (nothing worse!), but instead use just the right amount of fat.

Once removed from the oven, the toad in the hole will sink slightly due to the temperate change – I just recommend you check it is cooked and crispy on top throughout to know it is ready.

If your toad in the hole is soggy, it might be due to there being too many sausages in the tin. Try to make sure they're spaced far apart from each other to allow the batter to get crisp. Also, to make sure the Yorkshire pudding rises, don't be tempted to open the oven as it's cooking.

Egg in a Basket features an egg fried in the hole of a buttery slice of bread. The dish goes by several other names as well; Americans sometimes call it Toad in the Hole, but that title more properly refers to the traditional English dish of Yorkshire pudding with sausage and onion gravy.

What do you serve with toad in the hole? ›

Serve at the table with the Toad in the hole, mashed potatoes, greens and baked beans or maybe a green salad if you're feeling a little guilty!

Use a metal (or enamel-coated metal) baking tin if possible – a large, reasonably deep dish is best. Using a metal tin means the tin it will get hotter and the heat distribution will be more even. Mine is a rectangular enamel roaster, approx 31cmx25cm and 5cm deep.

Our answer. The batter in a toad in the hole should rise up but will be airy and crisp rather than spongy or cakey. The flour should be plain (all-purpose) flour and not self-raising. However it is most likely that the batter isn't quite cooking properly due to the dish.

Ideally rest the batter for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. The batter doesn't need to be chilled. Should Yorkshire pudding batter be thick or runny? The batter should be about as thick as double cream (so easily pourable but with some body).

Whilst the toad in the hole is baking DO NOT open the oven door – this will result in your batter deflating. Cook the toad in the hole for about 30 minutes – check through the oven door (look through the glass if you have a glass door) and check it is browned.

To prevent your Yorkshire puddings from sinking, don't open the oven door before the end of cooking time. When you remove the tin from the oven, do not leave the puddings near any drafts. The most foolproof way to stop your puddings from sinking? Eat them straight away!

Toads eat with their mouths, but toads drink water through their skin. This process, called cutaneous absorption, is why you see toads sitting in pools of water, but never see them drink.

Toads don't require actual standing water, but they do need to keep their skin moist. In dry spells like this year's month of July, they burrow down into moist soil and go into "estivation," the hot weather counterpart to hibernation.