This toad-in-the-hole recipe has a delicious twist; we’ve loaded the classic recipe with thick, smokey bacon and crisp roasted kale. Finished with a generous serving of hearty stout gravy, this toad in the hole is the best way to celebrate autumn and bonfire night.  

Toad in the hole tips:

• Thick, good-quality sausages and bacon will make your toad in the hole extra special. Head to your local butchers to get their recommendations.
• The best way to make sure you nail your toad-in-the-hole recipe is to cook your sausages to 71 °C, this will ensure they’re safe and succulent.
• Keep in mind some stouts can be bitter so you may need to add more sugar to your gravy. This can be done at the end of the cooking process, to taste.

How to make toad in the hole

Making toad in the hole is easier than it looks. Simply cook off your sausages a little while you mix your batter, then pour it over the sausages and voila! Within half an hour you will have juicy sausages cocooned in golden Yorkshire pudding.  

What to serve with toad in the hole

Essential sides for your toad in the hole include potatoes and veggies. For potatoes, creamy mashed potatoes or crisp roasties are always a winner on cold evenings. Delicious vegetable sides include sweet honey-glazed carrots, buttery peas or crunchy roasted long-stem broccoli. If you’re feeling particularly fancy, you could even whip up some cauliflower cheese.

Ingredients

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 30-40 minutes 

Key temperature: 71 °C

Serves: 4-6 

For the toad in the hole

• 12 large beef sausages
• 6 rashers of smoked bacon
• 150g self-raising flour
• ½ tsp mustard powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp dried rosemary or thyme
• 2 eggs
• 200ml full-fat milk
• 100g kale
• Olive oil

For the stout gravy

• 2 medium brown onions, thinly sliced
• 5-6 leaves of fresh sage, finely chopped
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme
• 30g butter
• 250ml beef stock
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 15ml honey
• 25g brown sugar
• 20g plain flour
• 250ml stout
• 300ml water
• Good pinch of salt and pepper

Directions

To make the toad in the hole

• Pre-heat a fan-assisted oven to 210 °C.
• Roll each sausage in a rasher of bacon.
• Stir in the flour, mustard, dried herb and salt in a bowl.
• Whisk the eggs, gradually adding the milk to the eggs. Then gradually add the flour mix and whisk until you form a smooth batter. Set aside.
• Add the oil to the roasting tin and heat in the oven until smoking.
• Add the sausages and cook for roughly 10 minutes, turning to brown them.

• Prepare the kale by removing the hard stem and finely chopping the leaves.
• Remove the sausages from the oven and sprinkle the kale over the top. Pour the batter over the dish.
• Bake until the internal temperature of the sausages read 71 °C on your Thermapen and the batter has risen and is golden. This will take around 25 minutes.
• Keep a close eye on the kale as it could slightly catch and burn. If this is happening just push the kale deeper into the batter.

To make the stout gravy

• In a saucepan gently melt the butter.
• Add the onions, brown sugar, sage, thyme and seasoning. Mix well.
• Cook until the onions begin to caramelise.
• Add the flour and stir well before pouring in the beer. Stir and reduce for a few minutes.
• Add the beef stock, stir, and leave to reduce. Then add the tomato puree.
• In about 7-10 minutes the gravy will have thickened enough. Remove from the heat and transfer to a suitable container.

Laura Tulloch

Thermapen Chef & Caterer

@laura_sussexfoodie

"I love my Thermapen, it really helps me cook with confidence. As a caterer the health and safety of everyone you cook for is paramount, but that doesn't mean you have to compromise with your cooking. A simple reassuring check with the Thermapen throughout the process is all that's needed to allow you to enjoy, and confidently serve what you've made."