If ever there was a time for comfort food, the time is now. TOAD. You can’t beat it really, with a lovely onion gravy made with a drop of Vincent Price Ale this is TOPS.
In possibly the shortest recipe of the month blog post ever, I present to you, Vincent Price’s Toad in the Hole!
This was one of the first things I made for my darling husband Mr Rathbone way back in May 2013 and he requested it again recently. I do not have to be asked twice when it comes to making Toad.
I’m posting this in haste, just in case anyone is after an easy recipe for tomorrow’s Virtual Vincent Price Dinner. Details of how to join are in this post – click on the black title link…
Plus, Peter and I are looking for test cooks for a new cookbook and Vincent’s Toad in the Hole is up for grabs.
Click on the book title link below to go and nab it (or another of Vincent’s recipes or one of his Co*Star’s faves).
Well, this post is turning out to be longer than I thought it would be. I’ve been reminded of the AMAZING event Peter and Victoria put on at Bart’s Pathology Museum in 2015 when with the help of Mr Rathbone and Cathy of Kitchen Confidence I made THREE HUNDRED mini toads to Vincent’s recipe (and 300 Cheese Knots too!). So if you fancy making some mini ones – details are at the very end of the post.
Here’s the recipe and I am SO EXCITED about seeing some of you IN REAL LIFE (sort of) for the first time on Zoom tomorrow.
I use whatever sausages I happen to have around the place…
Vincent Price’s Toad in the Hole
Heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil in a shallow 9×12-inch baking tin. Put in 1 pound of Vienna sausages. Prick lightly with fork and fry for 5 minutes.
Batter
Have all the ingredients at room temperature. Sift into bowl: 1 scant cup flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir in 1 cup milk. Beat until frothy: 2 eggs. Beat into the batter. Let batter stand for 30 minutes.
Toad
Preheat oven to hot – 400 degrees F [200 degrees C / 180 degrees C for fan oven / gas mark 6]. Heat baking tin with sausages and fat in the hot oven. Pour batter into tin and put in the hot oven. Bake for 20 minutes and reduce heat to moderate – 350 degrees F [175 degrees C / 155 degrees C for fan oven / gas mark 4]. Bake 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until batter is browned and puffy.
Vincent Price’s MINI Toad in the Holes
So for my mini toads I did the following: I put about 1 teaspoon of sunflower oil in each dip of a muffin tray, added the cocktail sausages and popped the muffin tray in a 180 degrees C fan oven for 3 minutes to get the oil hot. I then added the batter (about a dessert spoon for each toad) and baked in the middle of my oven for 20 minutes.
Perfection! Maybe slightly less oil would be good, but apart from that, bonzer.
Haha – and just to finish off, here’s a video featuring three of Vincent’s Cucumber Crocodiles I made for the same event, called Vincent, Boris and…. Simon! I look so young!
