Toad in the Hole

Serves 6

• 700g (1½ lb) pork sausages
• 175g (6oz) plain flour
• 275ml (½ pint) milk with 2 tablespoons of cold water
• 3 large eggs
• 2 onions
• Salt and pepper
  
• Slice the onions thinly and fry them in a little oil slowly, until they are soft and just beginning to turn golden, for about 8 minutes. Put to one side. Put the flour into a bowl, make a hollow in the centre and break the eggs in. Slowly pour in a little milk, gradually working in the flour into the milk/egg mixture. Keep adding more milk and water, beating the mixture with a wooden spoon until it becomes smooth and free of lumps of flour and it has the same consistency as single cream. If it is still too thick just add another egg to the batter and don’t forget to add a little salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 220C (425F, gas mark 7). Put the sausages into a large oven tray and cook them at the top of the oven for about 7 minutes until the fat runs from the sausages and they are browning nicely. Pour the batter over the sausages, scatter the cooked onions and return to the bottom of the oven. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the batter is well risen and golden brown. Check half way through the cooking time, as the larger the tin and the thinner the layer of batter, the shorter the cooking time. Serve at once with a green vegetable.