TOAD-IN-THE-HOLE

With the winter drawing-in and nights getting darker for longer, it is time to get out those recipes for comfort food dishes. A favourite of mine is Toad-in-the-Hole - simple juicy sausages encased in a huge Yorkshire pudding, just perfect to have for a large supper with a pint of beer. Give it a go tonight!

Ingredients: (serves 4)
125g plain flour
1 egg
300ml milk or milk mixed with water
500g pork sausages
8 rindless bacon rashers
2tbs vegetable oil
salt and pepper
+tin of baked beans
+mashed potatoes

Method:

• Heat the oven to 220'C or Gas Mark 7.
• Put the flour and a dash of salt and pepper into a bowl and then crack in the egg. Slowly whisk in the milk (and water) until the batter is smooth and frothy.

• Separate the sausages from each other. Stretch each rasher of bacon by running the flat edge of a knife along the rasher until it is half as long again. Wrap a rasher of bacon around each sausage.

• Pour the oil into a roasting tin and add the bacon-wrapped sausages. Cook in the oven for 5 minutes until sizzling.
• Whisk the batter again.
• Take the tin out of the oven and quickly pour in the batter.

• Put the tin back in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes until the batter has risen and is golden.

• Serve with baked beans and mashed potatoes.

Mouth-wateringly good!