Toad in the Hole

Ingredients

4 to 6 best quality pork sausages, depending on the size of your oven tray,

100g Plain flour (yes, NOT self raising and no added raising agents),

225ml Whole Milk,

¼ tsp Salt,

3 Eggs, Medium or Large

4 tbsp vegetable oil, or any high temperature flavourless oil

Optionally rosemary 

Equipment

A glass roasting tray (or steel, I prefer glass for the higher thermal mass)

A balloon whisk, preferably an electric one

Method

Cook the sausages, not too dark as they're also going in the oven for half an hour, and set aside, I usually cook a packet the day before. Plain pork or Cumberland are best.

Set the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7 and place the roasting tray in the centre of the oven, do not add the oil yet.

Into your mixing container (I use a 1 litre measuring jug) put the flour and the salt in it, stirring the salt into the flour.

Next, make a well and break in the 3 eggs whole, add a splash of milk and whisk until smooth. 

Now you whisk while slowly adding the rest of the milk, whisk very well.

Leave the batter to come up to room temperature or prepare the bought before and let it rest for 24 hours. More resting tastes better but give it an hour at least. 

Once the oven is good and hot, add the oil and put it back in the oven. Optionally add your rosemary.

This needs 5 to 10 minutes to come up to high temperature.

Once ready, remove from the oven, remove the rosemary if using, and, with tongs, add the sausages. If it's hot enough it'll snap and pop, don't let it bite you. 

Take the battery and pour it evenly throughout the tray, it should snap again.

Place the tray back in the centre of the oven and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. 

The exact time will be about this but vary slightly depending on local water, flour, eggs, etc. 

At 30 minutes open it up and have a quick look, once medium dark and toasted it is ready. 

Serve immediately with rich mashed potato (riced or pureed with lots of butter and well seasoned with salt to taste, if you want to add pepper, use white pepper), some green vegetables and a good onion gravy.

Slow Cooker Beef Bourguingnon

Rice.

200ml rice,
400ml boiling water,
1/4 tsp salt,
1 tbsp groundnut oil,
30cm non stick lidded saute pan

Mix the salt and the water.
Heat the oil in the pan to a high heat.
Add the rice, which will turn translucent.
Fry the rice until it turns opaque.
Tip in the water, stir and put the lid on.
Turn down to lowest heat.
For electrics, move to a different ring.
Simmer for 13 minutes.
Check water has been absorbed (tip it, glass lid helps)
Take off the heat, fork rice over, wrap lid in clean tea towel, replace lid and leave for ten minutes.

The Sauce

Ingredients
2 cans of plum tomatoes
2 cans of chickpeas
100g tomato puree
3 onions
2 cloves garlic
1 green pepper
125g mushrooms
Olive oil
1tsp Mixed herbs
2 Bay leaves
Salt
Paper

Put oil and vegetables in large pots and heat while stirring frequently.
Add cans of tomatoes and chickpeas, mixed herbs and may leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Cook on medium to high for 1/2 an hour to 45 minutes. Keep checking the seasoning and whether its good and cooked.
With a stick blender or food processor blend it to a smooth sauce.
Let it cool and batch freeze it in takeaway containers. You can label them with masking tape and a pencil.