Jamie’s Toad in the Hole - one of my favourite recipes ever. Really easy and it WORKS!! Perfect for a rainy autumn evening, there’s something so cheery about toad in the hole and it really doesn’t take that long to make.

This recipe comes from Happy Days with the Naked Chef, which is not only a great book but also has a photo of me and my friend Lindsey having a drink on p308! (I used to work at Penguin and Lindsey is Jamie’s editor). It’s for 4 people but you can half it easily for two.
Sunflower oil
8 good quality sausages
4 sprigs of rosemary
For the batter:
1/2 pint of milk
4oz plain flour
pinch of salt
3 eggs

Mix the batter ingredients together & put to one side - I like to do this in advance as the longer you leave the batter before the better it springs up I find, don’t know why.
Preheat oven to its highest setting. Put 1/2 inch of sunflower oil into a fairly shallow baking tin (made this last week with a deeper one and it wasn’t as good - you want the batter to be spread out so it can go HUGE). Know this sounds like loads of oil but promise me it works. When the oil is really hot add the sausages. Keep your eye on them, turn them once & let them colour till lightly golden.

Take the tin out of the oven then & be v careful as the oil / sausages will be hot. Pour the batter over the sausages. Throw 2 of the rosemary sprigs in. The batter will bubble and spit so be calm. Put the tin back in the oven and close the door. Leave for 20 mins. DO NOT open the door! The batter will collapse and be floppy instead of crisp and springy (I’m always doing this!) Watch through the door if you can. Remove when golden and crisp - may be before 20 mins depending on how hot your oven gets.

I like to serve this with a salad or some lightly steamed cauli and broccoli. Jamie also includes a recipe for a red onion gravy which I hadn’t done before last week when I tried it & loved it so here it is:
2 large red onions
2 knobs butter
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cloves of peeled sliced garlic
1 tablespoon vegetable stock

Fry the onions & garlic gently in the butter on low / med heat till they are sweet and translucent. Add other two sprigs of rosemary too. And the balsamic vinegar - allow it to cook down by half. Sprinkle in veg stock and add a little water. Allow it to simmer for a couple of mins. Serve with toad in the hole and an episode of Downton Abbey!