When is a toad not a toad…? Why when it's in a hole of course. What's he blabbering about this time? Well of course the toad I am referring to is, and never was a toad, it has always been a sausage of some description, and the hole that is referred to, in toad in the hole is of a traditional 'pudding' made in gods own county (and my home county) of Yorkshire, the Yorkshire pudding capital of England…an indeed of the world).
Imagine a golden-brown pillow of light, crispy batter, soft in the centre and succulent with vegetarian sausages. Sheer heaven, especially when rounded off with robust onion gravy and served with fresh seasonal vegetables - carrots and broccoli are ideal. Well don't get too excited yet… Tesco's toad in the hole leaves rather too much to the imagination and your dreams may well be shattered if you put too much expectation into this vertically challenged amphibian.
Traditionally the friendly sounding toad was another good, filling recipe for using up leftover meat, but is now always made with bangers (sausages, in other words). But Toad-in-the-hole with lamb chops and kidneys instead of the usual sausages is splendid traditional fare, the type of food that once was served in London's chop houses and dining rooms. There are several variations around Britain. In Norfolk, this old-time favourite is known as Pudding-pye-doll.
Now I'm not going to get all misty eyed about Yorkshire , so don't fall asleep yet, and I'm not going to start ranting and raving, and playing the professional Yorkshire man so don't touch that dial, but when there is one thing I know how to make it is Yorkshire puddings…MMMnnnnn ! we are weaned on Yorkshire puddings up here, and if anyone should know how a Yorkshire pudding should taste it's a Yorkshireman-oops …I said I wouldn't start all that !
I've been making Yorkshire puddings since I was knee high to a wippet, the recipe is simple and the basic ingredients are flour, milk and eggs.
The in Toad-in-the-hole is one of the quickest, simplest dishes we can create in our kitchens. It is a great recipe - and easy when we know how! I am going to tell you how so you know what you are buying.
The ingredients are so simple that there is a fair chance that we would have all of them in our
kitchen cupboards and fridges. This makes toad-in-the-hole one of the most useful stand-by recipes. It's perfect for the children's tea, for a tasty supper or a hot lunch and it is just the thing for warming us up on a chilly winter's day. All we need is some plain flour, salt, fresh eggs, milk and a little vegetable oil and, of course, some sausages! My recipe
Batter mix (also good for pancakes) 1 cup plain flour 1 cup milk 1 egg
If you want more batter increase all the ingredients by these measures in proportion.
How to make
Put the ingredients into a bowl whisk until the consistency of single cream, with plenty of air bubbles in it…or it will not rise.
Preheat your pudding dish with a reasonably heavy vegetable oil (or lard) do not use a light oil like olive oil it will burn away, to 200 C, and leave until the oil is smokin'… or later the pud will not rise.
Pour in the mixture and 'quick smart' back in to the oven, here time is a critical issue, don't spend more than a few seconds on this part of the operation or …you guessed it…the pudding will not rise!
Leave for 30 - 40 mins, and DO NOT be tempted to open the oven door to peak, or yes…the pudding will not rise.
40 mins late get yer gravy ready 'cos it's time to scoff the bloomin' lot.
Follow these simple instructions and you will have a light and delicious 'Yorkshire', fit for angels to eat, if they do eat, (or your little angels to eat, at any rate) if you do not, you will end up with a Yorkshire man's flat cap, for your dinner, which despite popular belief is never very tasty even with gravy on it. And if this recipe fails you, I will eat my hat!. In fact when you see a Yorkshire man in his flat cap, there's a 50% chance that it's Sunday Yorkshire pudding that he didn't make properly, and being from Yorkshire, didn't want to waste it.
The only addition, that toad in the hole has, is that it is a Yorkshire pudding with 'toads' in it. The toad is usually one or two sausages that are put in the bottom of the pie dish and cooked along with the pudding, to add interest and variety to what is basically a relatively simple and traditional dish.
So now that you know the secret of making a REAL Yorkshire pud (I will be run out of Yorkshire if folks know I have given the secret away…tee hee ! ) would you want to go out and buy some frozen concoction, probably made by some southern Nancy boy/girl, who doesn't know 'ecky-thump' about Yorkshire, or of their pudding making traditions. I have resisted calling these frozen monstrosities 'Turd in the hole' but it was a good pun and I didn't want to waste it…lol
There's two main contenders on the block shootin' it out, in my opinion, for the vegetarian toad in the hole crown (and don't forget this is the vegetarian version) and that is Tesco's and that Ol' Aunt Bessie
Aunt Bessie has to be the front runner in this competition in my opinion, I have always enjoyed Aunt Bessie's products though they do seem to be a bit on the expensive side, £1 49, for an individual portion in this case 190g, which is in fact more expensive than Tesco's price for this particular item.
I have to let you into a secret at this point, I bought some Aunt Bessie's toad in the hole a couple of weeks back, and it sent me on a Yorkshire pudding frenzy, I have been either buying, making or eating Yorkshire puds, at the sake of all else, for two weeks now…it must be something in my genes…and I am beginning to become rather concerned about it, as they say round here you'll look like a bloomin' Yorkshire pudding if you carry on like that. Sometimes with sausages (toad in the hole, of course) and sometimes without, but always with lashings of gravy, as thick as treacle, and I make the REALLY BIG ones in an 8" roasting tin that come out the size of a small suitcase lol…if it goes on like this I won't be able to get out of the door to get even more Yorkshire puddings…what am I going to do ?
I tried the Tesco one the week before that but it no such affect on me, like many of these frozen meals they tend to be a bit standard, there's none of the flare and je ne cest quoi, you get from home made and they tend to be a bit card-boardish.
Tescos toad in the hole was nominated for the vegetarian societies best meat or fish substitute (for the sausages, in 2004), but I'm not sure if it won anything, I wouldn't give it first prize in a toad eating contest never mind, toad in the hole. But then of course I have been spoiled with the REAL thing for too many years and I thin I will always be a bit prejudiced.
Weighing in at 250g this Tesco's toad in the hole contain 4 mini sausages, laid widthways in a rectangular hole, which to my way of thinking is wrong, proper toad in the hole should have the sausages laying in line with the longest length of the pudding, so that looses marks for me to begin with
Secondly the pudding as shown on the box does not rise very much the pud on the box looks like half a house brick, when it should be all puffy, and golden and irregular, as it rises in the oven, this pudding is far too square and formal. It's a stuffed shirt of a pudding and its very short of character.
The aesthetics of this creation are all wrong, if you eat with your eyes after all, this one doesn't even have me nibbling at the edges. It's a horrible and pathetic sight. Even covered in thick treacley gravy I think I would rather eat my flat cap.
It looks more like worms in the hole than toad in the whole, and to my way of thinking is as much an offence to the Yorkshire pudding world as, those triangular plastic packed egg mayonnaise sandwiches are to the sandwich fraternity, it's plasticy, soulless, and if it weren't for the sausages weighing it down and holding it to the plate, I dare say it would be tempted to slide silently, and with some dignity, off the plate and straight in to the pedal bin, saving you the ignominy of having to eat it. Though it's such an unrefined little beast it would probably blow a raspberry at you on it's way off the plate and this mortal coil.
Aunt Bessie's toad in the hole on the other hand the sausages are full length bangers and are laid longitudinally along the length of the pudding…NOW THAT'S MORE LIKE IT …. I suppose it's one of those arguments like whether you should cut a sandwich square at 90* (don't do this is as it is very common and you may well be laughed at if you take your sandwiches out in public, and be mistaken for a dustman, or tramp or other such oik) or to cut them triangular, corner to corner (this is the correct way to do it of course, it is what polite people do and will do bring you into social disrepute or embarrassment, you may take your sandwiches out in public with a sense of knowing and pride that you know how to behave in civilised society…that is of course if you must eat your sandwiches in the street in the first place…!).
I am afraid that Tesco's toad in the hole falls into the 'sandwich cut on the square' category, it is a vulgar beast with no social graces at all, it's a docker's doorstep, and probably wipes it's nose on the back of it's sleeve when it thinks no-one is looking.
Aunt Bessie's well brought up child, however is the perfect club sandwich, always with a clean handkerchief in it's top pocket. It has poise and elegance, which can only be achieved with years of careful grooming and would grace the table of any carefully selected dinner gathering.
This frozen ready meal (both varieties) comes in the form of about 1cm thick of frozen batter, at the bottom of a foil dish, with said frozen toads also frozen stuck to the bottom of it. The simple instructions are to pre-heat the oven to bout 200 C and then bake for 30 mins, during which time you can relax and watch Eastenders, or have a cup of tea, whilst you wait in eager anticipation, for your toadies treat.
My advice would be to make some really thick gravy as this my favourite topping for Yorkshire pudding and some mashed potato, that is of course assuming that you weren't so lazy as to buy frozen mashed potato as well in which case you can hoiy the whole lot in the oven together. In fact if you are that lazy I will come round and make the gravy for you…I mean we don't want you wearing yourself out
You may have guessed that I am no great fan of frozen foods, but for those of you who can't cook/won't cook I suppose you have to eat something. I can't blame you for choosing this product being such a fan of it as a generic thing, I just think that you'll be missing out if you think that THIS is what Yorkshire pudding, and toad in the hole is about.
There is a special offer on at the moment, which means that you can buy a multi pack of Tesco's in which you get 5 for £4.00, instead of 89p each, which means of course you could end up a Yorkshire pudding junkie like me, if you are not careful…tee hee.
The 'toads' themselves…Tesco's are rather short and chipolata like, and are of reasonable quality and texture, but nothing to brag about in the showers as it were, they were rather limp and unexcited, a little sausage with no passion. An impotent force, out of their depth and embarrassed at the size of their length and vigour. Where as Aunt Bessie's big bangers were full and erect and bulging, man size, full length and proud and amply filled the Yorkshire pudding chasm. Bursting and juicy ready to take the rich velvety gravy, carefully prepared and succulent, as it poured over the waiting lengths of sausage, hot and sticky, full of promises of fulfilment and satisfaction…oohhhheerrr…Missus !
The actual pudding itself was reasonably impressive from both contenders and above expectation I must admit light and fluffy with a crisp coat, which is how it should be. The portion size is adequate though being a Yorkshire man, I have to have a bigger one than everyone else and my home made ones are usually the size of the table top…well at least as big as the oven will allow.
There is only one question to ask the who is the Yorkshire pudding/Toad in the hole champion of all England. Is it the somewhat flouncy but extremely cultured Aunt Bessie's Toad in the hole, a little under weight but making up for it in style and sophistication, or the rather more down to earth, and robust Tesco's no nonsense little tyke that fights I weight, if not a little on the stodgy side.
Well the answer is neither of these of course…. I am the Yorkshire pudding King of Yorkshire and England…lol, and as you can't have one of mine I suggest you wipe your tears and decide if you're prince charming or a warty frog and take you pick from the other two.
Or Just Make Your Own…!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Aug 26th, 2006
exceptional by (13%):
very helpful by (83%):
helpful by (3%):
