A Game Changing Toad in the Hole with Roasted-Onion Gravy

Toad in the Hole with Roasted-Onion Gravy

The world of celebrity cooks in British mainstream include Jamie, Nigella, Gordon and Heston but there is one face that has remained constant through it all, one woman who has "stayed utterly true to her homey origins and doesn't so much bestride the culinary world as plough tenaciously through it like a tugboat with a jammed rudder." Yes, this week with our 50 Women Game Changers we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the queen of British "cookery" herself Delia Smith.

When eating in Britain still meant fish and chips Delia was teaching us how to boil an egg. Four decades later the Brits have had a national culinary renaissance and celebrity chefs have been born, yet through it all, Delia has remained utterly and completely unaffected.The most tried and trusted of British TV cooks Delia Smith has been teaching Brits how to make their favourite dishes for over 40 years.

"I have three passions in life: I am passionate about my religious belief,
about football - and about food."

Delia left school at 16 but it was the job she found at the tiny restaurant The Singing Chef in Paddington which sparked her passion for food. Determined to study every aspect of English cooking she worked through countless cookbooks.

Delia Smith is Britain's bestselling cookbook writer, whose books have sold over 21 million copies worldwide. In 1969 Delia became a writer for the Daily Mirror's new magazine (where she met her future husband Michael Wyn-Jones), and three years later began columns for the Evening Standard and the Radio Times.

So large a national icon is Delia Smith in the United Kingdom, that the wonder is that she remains virtually unknown across the pond in Canada or the United States. She focuses on British classics, while being open to new approaches and ingredients. Her focus has mostly been to raise the fundamental standards of everyday cooking by educating people about the basics, step by step.

Her TV career began in 1973 with BBC series Family Fare and was followed by Delia's Cookery Course with its back-to-basics recipes, also available in print. Delia Smith's Summer Collection and her Winter Collection followed and, in 1998, the How to Cook series was broadcasted, he accompanying book being her most successful yet.

One of our simple pleasures in life is navigating the blogging community and participating where the feeling takes us. Our group is now well past the halfway point on the list of Gourmet Live's 50 Women Game Changers. The past ninth months have flown by as we experimented with dishes from each of the 50 influential women on "the list." Whether you agree or disagree with the authors chosen fifty and their order it has been an enjoyable and creative outlet to cook from the masters and those we admire. There have even been a few successful bloggers on the list. We have checked out books from the library, borrowed cookbooks from friends, surfed the Internet and browsed our own cookbook collections seeking that one recipe that will highlight that weeks outstanding woman. This group is spearheaded by my favourite well-travelled blogger Mary of One Perfect Bite who back in June 2011 invited bloggers to travel along on a culinary journey throughout the year. It is still not too late to join in in 2012. 

What have we been up to with our next Game Changer......

Mary of One Perfect Bite -  Bubble and Squeak Roesti

Val of More Than Burnt Toast - Toad in the Hole with Roasted Onion Gravy

 Susan of The Spice Garden - Stir Fried Chicken with Lime and Coconut 

 Heather of Girlichef - Bean, Bacon and Parsley Soup

Miranda of Mangoes and Chutney - Soufflé Omelet with Three Cheeses and Chives

Jeanette at Jeanette's Healthy Living - Carrot and Coriander Soup 

Sue of View from The Great Island - Soup Flamande with Frizzled Brussels Sprouts 

Linda of There and Back Again - Four Nut Chocolate Brownies

Barbara of Moveable Feasts - All-in-One Walnut Sponge with Coffee Cream

Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits - Tofu with Lime, Coconut Milk and Green Onions

Veronica of My Catholic Kitchen - Yorkshire Pudding (Popovers)

Annie  at Most Lovely Things - Leek, Onion and Potato Soup

Claudia of Journey of an Italian Cook - Grilled Polenta with Sage, Proscuitto and Fontina

Alyce of More Time at The Table - Italian Baked Fish

Amrita of Beetle's Kitchen Escapades

Being of British extraction I had heard of Toad in a Hole but had neither eaten it or had it grace my kitchen. On a recent trip to Britain my brother raved about a version he had in a pub in the Lake District, and mom remembers it fondly from school lunches. You can also rest assured that no toads were harmed in the making of this dish. I can't give this high enough accolades. It is a tastebud catching creation from humble British origins. 

From Wikepedia I learned that Toad in the Hole originated in the town of Alnmouth in Northumberland. Alnmouth has a links golf course which can at certain times of the year be overrun with Natterjack toads. It was at just such a time, that a golf tournament was being played and the leader made his put only to have the ball promply ejected by a rather vexed toad that had been quietly asleep in the bottom of the cup. On hearing of the players misfortune, the chef at the towns hotel where the players were staying devised the dish, thinking it would resemble a toad rising from the eighteenth, and served it that night. Now that is what you call a dish with an interesting history to go along with it. 

This recipe comes from a Delia cookbook, her "How to Cook" series. Light crispy batter and plump, meaty sausages, all drenched in a generous amount of roasted onion will "tickle your fancy." I was hooked on this car laden meat and potatoes dish!!!  The quality of the sausage used makes a big difference. Serve it with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables . . . and a good gravy is a must!!! Cheerio. Pip. Pip!

**Toad in the Hole with Roasted-Onion Gravy**

6 good-quality pork sausages – about 14 oz (400 g)
1 tablespoon groundnut or other flavourless oil (if necessary)


For the batter:


3 oz (75 g) plain flour
1 large egg
3 fl oz (75 ml) semi-skimmed milk
salt and freshly milled black pepper
2 fl oz (55 ml) water


For the onion gravy:


8 oz (225 g) onions, peeled and sliced
2 teaspoons groundnut or other flavourless oil
1 level teaspoon golden caster sugar
1 dessertspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 level teaspoon mustard powder
15 fl oz (425 ml) vegetable stock made from 1½ level teaspoons Marigold Swiss vegetable bouillon powder dissolved in 15 fl oz (425 ml) boiling water
1 rounded dessertspoon plain flour
salt and freshly milled black pepper


Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7, 425°F (220°C)


You will also need a solid-based, flameproof roasting tin with a base of 9 x 6 inches (23 x 15 cm), 2 inches (5 cm) deep, and a baking tray 14 x 10 inches (35 x 25.5 cm).


1. Begin by making the batter, and to do this sieve the flour into a large bowl, holding the sieve up high to give the flour a good airing. Now, with the back of a spoon, make a well in the centre, break the egg into it and add some salt and pepper.


2. Now, measure the milk and 2 fl oz (55 ml) water in a measuring jug, then, using an electric hand whisk on a slow speed, begin to whisk the egg into the flour – as you whisk, the flour around the edges will slowly be incorporated. Then add the liquid gradually, stopping to scrape the flour into the mixture.


3. Whisk until the batter is smooth. Now the batter is ready for use, and although it's been rumoured that batter left to stand is better, I have never found this, so just make it whenever it's convenient. Now place the sliced onions in a bowl, add 1 teaspoon of the oil and the sugar and toss the onions around to get the lightest coating, then spread them on the baking tray.


4. Next arrange the sausages in the roasting tin, then place the onions on a high shelf in the oven, with the sausages on a lower shelf, and set a timer for 10 minutes. When the timer goes off, remove the sausages from the oven but leave the onions in for a further 4-5 minutes – they need to be nicely blackened round the edges. When they are ready, remove them and leave to one side.


5. Now place the roasting tin containing the sausages over direct heat turned to medium and, if the sausages haven't released much fat, add the tablespoon of oil. When the tin is really hot and the oil is beginning to shimmer – it must be searing hot – quickly pour the batter in all around the sausages. Immediately return the roasting tin to the oven, this time on the highest shelf, and cook the whole thing for 30 minutes.Now for the gravy.


6. First add the Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder to the stock, then add the onions from the baking tray to a medium-sized pan. Now add the second teaspoon of oil, then, using a wooden spoon, stir in the plain flour. Stir all this together over a medium heat and then switch to a whisk, then gradually add the stock to the pan, whisking all the time, until it's all in.


7. Then bring it up to simmering point and gently simmer for 5 minutes. Taste to check the seasoning, then pour into a warmed serving jug. When the toad is ready, it should be puffed brown and crisp and the centre should look cooked and not too squidgy.


8. Serve it immediately with the gravy, and it's absolutely wonderful with mashed potato.


Serves 2 - 3


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