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How to make toad in the hole using pigs in blankets, and served up with home-made onion gravy

Toby Keel Toby Keel

This winter warming recipe is ideal as the nights draw in and the mercury plummets.

As the temperature plummets around Britain, it’s hard not to start thinking dreamily of delicious comfort food — particularly things like toad-in-the-hole, or pigs-in-blankets. So when our friends over at Wild and Game shared with us this recipe that combines both, it only seemed right to pass it on.

It’s the sort of recipe that’d be idea to bookmark for use with Christmas leftovers, but if you can’t wait that long then Wild and Game sell ready-made ones made with venison and pheasant — the sort of twist which turns comfort food into something of a show-stopper.

Recipe: Toad-in-the-hole with pigs-in-blankets

Ingredients

Serves 4

For the toad in the hole

  • 140g plain flour
  • 4 medium eggs, beaten
  • 200 ml milk
  • Half a tsp salt
  • 4 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
  • 16 pigs in blankets – about 350g (less is fine) You could try Wild and Game’s game version.

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For the gravy

  • 4 medium onions, finely sliced
  • 2 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp sherry
  • 750ml stock
  • 1 tbsp mushroom ketchup
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • A few drops of gravy browning (optional)

Method

  1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7, 220 degrees centigrade.
  2. If they have not previously been cooked, place the pigs in blankets in a roasting tin with the oil and cook for about 10 minutes until very lightly browned. If they are already cooked, heat the oil for the first few minutes then add the pigs in blankets for about 5 minutes.
  3. In a bowl, beat the eggs into the flour and salt until smooth, then gradually pour in the milk, beating until you have a smooth batter.
  4. Take the tin out of the oven and pour in the batter.
  5. Return to the oven for 20 minutes.
  6. While the toad is cooking, make the gravy. Fry the onions in the oil for 10 minutes until very soft and golden (but not burnt).
  7. Add the sherry and cook for a couple of minutes until reduced.
  8. Add the stock and mushroom ketchup and heat until bubbling.
  9. Mix the cornflour with some of the stock until smooth, then stir it into the pan. Keep heating and stirring until the gravy thickens. Add some gravy browning, if desired, for a darker colour.
  10. Keep cooking the gravy gently until the toad is cooked.
  11. Serve the toad smothered in the gravy.