Irish apple tart
This recipe is based on the apple pie that chef Richard Corrigan's mother used to make every St Patrick's Day
Ultimate toad in the hole
- Preparation and cooking time
- Cook:
- Easy
- Serves 4
Skip to ingredients
For the batter
- 100g plain flour
- 1 egg
- 300ml equal mixture milk and water
For the toad
- 8 rashers streaky bacon
- 8 good-quality pork sausages
- 1 onionthinly sliced
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
For the gravy
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionthinly sliced
- 2 tsp plain flour
- 2 tsp ready-made English mustard
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauceor soy sauce
- 600ml chicken or vegetable stock
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal625
- fat42g
- saturates13g
- carbs35g
- sugars0g
- fibre2g
- protein30g
- salt4.08g
Method
step 1
Preheat the oven to fan 200C/conventional 220C/ gas 7. Sift the flour and a make a well in the centre and crack in the egg. Beat lightly,then gradually pour in half the milk and water, beating all the time to form a smooth,thick batter. Continue for 2 minutes,then stir in the remaining liquid. (The batter can be made several hours ahead of time, although contrary to popular opinion it is not improved by standing.)
step 2
Wrap a bacon rasher around each sausage then put them, spaced apart, in a large roasting tin (preferably metal). Scatter over the onion and drizzle with oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the bacon and sausages are starting to colour and the onion is tinged brown at the edges.
step 3
Remove from the oven and quickly pour the batter over the sausages. Return to the oven for a further 35-40 minutes until the batter is crisp and well risen.
step 4
Meanwhile,make the gravy. Heat the vegetable oil in a small pan, add the onion and fry gently for 5 minutes until softened and lightly coloured. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the mustard, Worcestershire or soy sauce and stock and bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer for 15 minutes, then taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve the toad with cabbage or broccoli and lashings of gravy.
