Toad in the hole and the best Yorkshire pudding recipe.

Feb 4th is Yorkshire Pudding Day and a perfect excuse to indulge in some comfort food. Toad in the hole with onion gravy.

What’s not to love, Yorkshire puddings, sausages and onion gravy, made with pork neckbone broth.

I always cook my Yorkies in cast iron. and like them risen at the edges and dipped in the middle - otherwise, they are a popover. I have a cast iron muffin pan for the small yorkies or I use my cast iron skillets.

There are tons of recipes out there, some use water, some beer, and some use a lot of eggs.

I have been making my recipe for over 30 years. I use more milk than flour because when I was trying to be self-sufficient, many years ago, I had a house cow and lots of milk, but I had to buy flour and eggs were sometimes in short supply so you can make it with 1 egg if you like..

Toad in the hole

Toads

• 1 lb our breakfast or Cumberland sausages

  Yorkshire pudding batter

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup full-fat milk

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• good pinch of salt

• 1 - 2 tbsp lard

  Onion gravy

• 2 onions sliced

• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

• 2 tbsp butter

• 500 ml pork or chicken stock

• Soy sauce

  Directions

1. Make Yorkshire Pudding batter. I mix mine in a jug, it’s easier to pour and saves washing up. Start with the eggs then add flour, salt and milk. I always use a stick blender but you can hand whisk, or an electric beater, however, you like to mix your batter.

2. Rest the batter for at least 30 mins, but the longer the better, overnight if possible

3. Put the oven on 425 ℉

4. Cook sausages until browned, don’t overcook because they will cook more in the oven. I use a cast iron skillet.

5. When sausages are browned take them from the pan and add 2 tbsp lard to the pan and put it in the oven and get it sizzling hot.

6. Once it’s sizzling add the sausages back in and then pour the batter over them and put in the oven for about 40 mins. I usually take a quick peak at 30 mins.

7. While the toad in the hole is cooking melt 2 tbsp butter in a pan and fry the sliced onions.

8. Once they are soft sprinkle the flour over and stir to mix, then add a quarter cup of stock. stir over the heat and as it gets thicker keep adding more stock a little at a time, bringing it to a boil each time to cook the flour. Add as much or as little stock as you like to your desired thickness.

9. I always use soy sauce to season my gravy, Thai mushroom soy sauce is my current favourite, and sometimes I add a drop of oyster sauce too, yes I know it’s not traditional - that would be to use bisto or oxo.

10. When toad in the hole is cooked serve with onion gravy and your favourite veg. We like cabbage seasoned with salt and pepper and fried in butter or bacon fat.

    The Yorkshire pudding recipe makes 6 muffin tin yorkies or 1 large - frying pan size

    Enjoy! Let me know if you have a gluten-free version

A Beginners Guide to Raising Happy Free Range Pigs

CA$20.00

Small Pig Farmers Guide to Pork Processing

CA$25.00

Our Traditional Christmas Table -Sage & Onion Stuffing.

Christmas is time for family and food, overindulging and making memories.

Up until we left the UK my mum always hosted Xmas dinner and I cooked. Anyone who was going to be alone would be invited, it was usually a very strange crowd but we had so much fun.

Our last big family Christmas was in 2003. Even though it’s just 2 of us I still cook a massive oversized turkey because it’s tradition!

Leftovers are part of Christmas for us and they are freezable! I freeze turkey dinners for Carl’s lunches and Boxing day is left over turkey curry day.

The first Christmas I cooked for a large crowd I really did overextend myself. Nowadays I don’t stress, anything that can be made a day ahead takes some of the pressure off - the stuffing, bread sauce, soup and boiled potatoes ready for roasting can all be done early.

A good stuffing is an essential part of our traditional Christmas and my favourite is sage & onion. ( Back home we used to have chestnut stuffing but I don’t have the patience to peel them so I only make it if I find peeled chestnuts - this year I actually found some in the frozen section of an Asian Grocery store.)

Our stuffings are different from the bread type stuffings that are popular here because they are mainly meat and yes it only uses 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs - which you can leave out if you prefer

I use our Cumberland Sausage or you can use ground pork and I don’t actually stuff the turkey anymore because it takes too long to cook. Instead, I cook the stuffing in muffin tins - sometimes mini muffin tins or even in a loaf tin. I have to make extra because we can’t help picking!

“It’s the best stuffing ever! I made it in a loaf tin and sliced it. - It’s delicious and very easy to make with a few ingredients.”

— Nana K

Sage & Onion Stuffing

2lb Cobblestone Farm Sausages or ground pork

4 tablespoons breadcrumbs

1 large onion finely chopped

1 heaped dessertspoon dried sage

1 beaten egg (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1) Mix breadcrumbs, onion and dried sage in a bowl.

2) Add sausagemeat/ground pork and egg if using, mix well.

3)Season with salt & pepper. (Fry a little of the stuffing up to taste it)

4)Put in muffin tins or loaf pan (or Stuff into turkey) and cook at 425 degrees for about 40 mins or until cooked through

Delicious Berkshire Pork and Apple Burger

Here is another of my favourite ground pork recipes. Is so good as a burger but you can also use it as a stuffing. We have ours with potatoes cooked in bacon fat - delicious!

Berkshire Pork & Apple Burgers

• 1lb Berkshire ground pork

• 1 tsp coriander seeds

• 1 tsp black peppercorns

• 1 tbsp dried sage or 5 sage leaves finely chopped

• 2 dessert apples

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/4 cup fresh pressed sweet apple cider or 1 small apple peeled and cored (i liquidized it)

• juice of 1/2 lemon

• 1 tsp lard or oil for frying.

Directions

1. Toast coriander seeds and black peppercorns for 1-2 mins in a dry pan until fragrant. then crush them in a pestle and mortar until well crushed.

2. Peel, quarter and core 2 apples then chop into 3- 4mm cubes and squeeze lemon juice over them

3. Liquidize 3rd apple if you don’t have apple cider

4. Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix thoroughly.

5. shape into 4 burgers and chill for at least 30 mins.

6. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add lard.

7. Add burgers and fry for 10-15 mins until cooked through (165 degrees F)

8. Remove from pan and let rest for 5 mins.

9. Enjoy.

Variation - Put a piece of mature cheddar cheese in the centre of the burger before you cook it.

If you make this recipe I would love to know what you think - you can leave a comment below.