Toad-in-the-Hole is such a childhood classic – but I didn’t ever have it has a child! I make it now as a quick Sunday Lunch or family dinner for us now so it’s part of my kids childhood. While we used to have a big Yorkshire Pudding when I was growing up the sausage element wasn’t added, not least because vegetarian sausages didn’t exist back then.
But now they do I’m making the most of it! The secret to a good puffy Yorkie is hot oil to start with. If you have a fan oven this really doesn’t take long to come to temperature, just 5-10min during which time you can get the rest of the meal ready. This is a recipe for four hungry people and really doesn’t take as long as you think to make, you can have this meal on the table in just over half-an-hour (if you have a kind oven!). I use my Nutribullet to make the batter just because I can weigh and blend it all in the same vessel which saves on washing up, but make it as you would a pancake batter.
Vegetarian Toad-in-the-Hole
Ingredients
- For the batter:
- 300ml milk
- 120g plain flour
- 3 eggs
- pinch of salt
- 5 tablespoons of oil (sunflower/vegetable/coconut)
- 8 chilled vegetarian sausages
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat your oven and place your large roasting tin (30cm x 38cm approx.) in the middle of the oven on the highest setting – so for most 230 °C Fan/ 250 °C/475 °F/Gas 9 – with the oil covering the bottom.
- Step 2 While it’s heating prep the batter. Just blend the ingredients together!
- Step 3 After 5-10min depending on your oven, the oil should be very thin and also smoking hot, you should see a vapour rising from it. Shut the oven door while you are checking the oil so the heat stays in the oven!
- Step 4 When the oil is super hot, throw in the sausages and shake the pan so they spread out and then pour over all the batter. Immediately return to the oven. You want to move fast so the pan doesn’t cool down.
- Step 5 Now cook for 20min without opening the door. This is important as you want your Yorkshire pudding to rise beautifully.
- Step 6 While it’s cooking you can make the veggies to go with the toad-in-the-hole.
- Step 7 After 20mins check your pudding. It should be puffed up and the sausages should be cooked. If it’s more browned on one side than the other turn it and return for another 5mins.
